


Alphas & Betas

by Zeelian



Series: The Eternal Universe - Birth of a Dragon [8]
Category: Fantasy - Fandom, Original Work, Science Fiction - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Emotional Baggage, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Pack Dynamics, Past Abuse, Sexual Frustration, Soul Marking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-12-26 19:12:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18288500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeelian/pseuds/Zeelian
Summary: After spending a year away from their home Takeshi, Emelie and the twins eagerly return to their island, looking forward not only to reunite with the others, but to introduce Knight, and tell them of what they had learned.However, they quickly find that things rarely go according to plans, and Takeshi finds himself struggling with instincts as Dan finally reveals his damaged heart.





	1. Homecoming

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Ah, good to see you again kids. You look well.”  
Matthews greeted them warmly once he had exited the Blackout.  
“Good to see you too old man.”  
Matthews snorted at being cold old, but returned Takeshi's hug with feeling before greeting Emelie and the twins the same way.  
“And who is this?”  
There was a slight hint of suspicion in his voice when he turned to Knight.  
“Big guy here is an ally, and dare I say friend. We will explain everything when we get home.”  
“If Take says you're okay, that's enough for me. I'm Thomas Matthews.”  
“I have no name to offer you, but Take and his little Lilim have taken to calling me Knight when among others. You may call me as you wish.”  
Emelie's annoyed hiss at being called lilim caused some good natured bickering and teasing which helped soothe Knight's nerves as they approached the Blackout.  
They had explained to him about flight, and assured him it was safe, but it was nevertheless a rather terrifying prospect.  


Out of habit Takeshi brushed his hand fondly along the smooth composite of the fuselage as he boarded the Blackout and headed for the pilot's seat and as he sat down he could feel Daniels' spirit stir slightly, and he found that the drain was much less than it had been before.  
It felt good to be back at the controls of the Blackout, he had always enjoyed flying even before he was able to do so by his own power and the familiar hum of the engines soothes his worries.  
And Takeshi Kiryu was worried, even scared in a way, he had been away from his home for almost a year, and he had changed and grown while he was away, and no doubt those he had left behind had done the same.  


Part of him was eager to return home and see how young Dan had developed, and the strength of his own feelings and instincts on the matter scared him.  
He was bringing another alpha with him home, and despite Knight's oaths it riled his instincts as he saw Dan as an unclaimed beta, and chances were Knight would as well.  


“Daddy can we fly fast?”  
There was teasing challenge in Maria's voice and it made Takeshi smile, and he could hear Emelie snickering.  
“Of course we can sweetie.”  
“Yay!”  
After flashing his passengers a teasing smile he went through his checklist and Matthews did the same in the co-pilot's seat, allowing Emelie to focus on Knight should he react badly.  


Takeshi could feel the concerned shift in Knight's aura as he increased the power to the engines and the Blackout slowly rose from the ground, and once they had cleared the airspace of the Athens air control tower he opened her engines up.  
Knight voiced a rather undignified yelp when the booster turbines engaged and pushed the Blackout into a 3G horizontal acceleration, the twins cheered eagerly though, and their obvious joy and excitement calmed the old giant somewhat.  
3G was by no means a very sharp acceleration, but it was quite enough for Knight who was unaccustomed to flying.  
Structurally the Blackout could easily handle forces in excess of 15G, though, the girls would not be able to handle that, the highest he had pushed with them on board before had been just under 5G.  
Knight would no doubt be able to handle a lot more than that physically, but the psychological stress of the unfamiliar sensation could become too much.  


“Flying is fun!”  
“Mhm!”  
“If you say so girls...”  
Knight's somewhat diplomatic answer revealed his lingering discomfort.  
“Don't worry Mr Knight. Daddy is a really good pilot, and he would never do anything to put us in any real danger.”  
The sudden maturity in Maria's words made Knight pause and really look at her before nodding and relaxing a bit more.  
Takeshi knew it wouldn't last very long though.  
“Can we do a roll?”  
He couldn't help laughing as Sarah's question gave him the perfect opportunity, he could deny her, but he wouldn't, after all, what would be the fun in that?  
“Of course sweetie.”  
His agreement wasn't just giving her what she wanted though, a basic aileron roll or slow roll would be a good place to start working on getting Knight used to the maneuvers of aerial combat.  
The somewhat shrill cry when Takeshi initiated the roll made the twins laugh and tease Knight quite a bit.  
“Girls, don't be mean.”  
Takeshi scolded them gently and they instantly turned to Knight and apologized.  
“Sorry Mr Knight, we didn't mean it like that.”  
“It's okay, I know you didn't.”  


When they set down at their little island Knight looked rather relieved to be able to leave the Blackout and both Emelie and the twins were teasing him about it.  
“You didn't seem to mind when I carried you.”  
Emelie snickered as they stepped out on the landing-pad.  
“Demonic flight is something I'm familiar with, and I'm quite sure our dear Take intentionally flew that thing like a madman.”  
Knight defended himself with a huff.  
Emelie just snickered, he was right of course, Takeshi had pushed the jet as much as he dared with the twins there, trying to push Knight's limits, including several different aerobatic maneuvers.  


“Take!”  
“Em!”  
“Sarah!”  
“Maria!”  
The moment they stepped off the landing-pad they were swarmed by the other girls and after a flurry of greetings and hugs the twins were dragged away, no doubt to be interrogated about their vacation, and about Knight.  
Takeshi couldn't help instantly noticing that Dan wasn't with them though and it hit him harder than he thought it would.  


“ _Okaerinasai Take-kun.”  
“Okaerinasai Kage-sama.”_  
Kasumi and Eriko both welcomed Takeshi back in Japanese before turning to Emelie and Knight, though Eriko seemed more intent on teasing them than anything else and managed to annoy Takeshi to the point where he pounced her and demanded her submission, which in turn earned him a slap from Kasumi for not giving her a hug before pouncing Eriko, which caused Knight to smile and shake his head.  
_“I'm guessing this is normal around here?”_  
He silently asked Emelie who was standing next to him with an even wider smile.  
_“They haven't even gotten started yet.”_  


It wasn't until after Kasumi and Eriko had walked back to the house together with Matthews that Dan showed up and walked over to the trio and both Takeshi and Emelie noticed that something seemed off.  
The normally talkative young man was dead silent, and there was a strained stiffness in his shoulders when he stopped a few steps away.  
He stood there without saying a word as the raijū jumped down from his shoulder and transformed into its larger form and walked up to Takeshi.  
Emelie gasped when Takeshi reached out to greet it and it instantly closed its jaws over his hand, burying the sharp fangs deep in his flesh but he made no attempts to remove his hand, instead he kneeled down and seemed to just wait for it to let go.  
A few minutes later it did let go and Takeshi carefully gathered the long whip-like appendages and allowed them to slide through his hand as he walked over to Dan.  


“ _I take it that this is not normal?”  
_Knight sounded rather concerned, even he could tell that something was wrong.  
_“No, it's not, I have no idea what's going on.”  
_They both watched as Takeshi wrapped his arms around Dan, leaned in and brushed his lips against his forehead with a whispered _Gomen ne_ before walking away, leaving rather shocked Dan standing there. slowly turning crimson as the shock lifted.  
“This should be a rather interesting story if they ever share it.”  
Emelie mused in a low whisper before calling for Dan's attention, at first he didn't react at all when she called his name, he didn't respond until she actually tapped his nose and called to him in Swedish.  
“ _Hallå, jorden anropar!_ ”  
_“Huh? Oh, Em, hej...”_  
He half murmured, partially in Swedish, all while still sporting a vivid blush.  
“Welcome back to Earth.”  
She chuckled at him before continuing with what she was trying to tell him.  
“Dan, this is Knight, he will be living here and helping you keep this place safe, so how about you show him around and help him find a spot where we can build him a home?”  
Dan just nodded distractedly before turning to Knight to introduce himself, but when he did he nearly fell over.  
“Damn, you are one big dude!”  
It would seem Dan had been so focused on Takeshi he hadn't even noticed Knight until now.  
Emelie couldn't help laughing at the reaction, and Knight was showing off one of his huge grins as well, obviously amused with Dan's distraction.  
“Well, I will leave you two to it then, and Dan, do drop by and say hello to the twins, I am sure they were disappointed that you weren't here to greet them before they got dragged of by the others.  
_“You should introduce him to your steed when you get an opportunity, and I'm sure it would like to have a look at your new home as well. And do try not to tease Dan too much until we know what that was all about”_  
She added silently to Knight before waving goodbye and heading up to the main house, she had a feeling Takeshi would be a while, walking the island to collect his thoughts.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


The marks from the raijū's fangs were long since healed as Takeshi walked the perimeter of the island, allowing his thoughts to run freely, but as he knew they would they refused to focus on anything besides Dan.  
Seeing the young man again had caused quite a jumble of emotions, once again Takeshi found himself desiring him without the urge to seduce him.  


He thought back to what had happened by the landing pad, how his heart had raced the moment he spotted Dan, and for a moment all he could think of was how attractive he found him.  
Still sporting the usual contrast of a well groomed goatee and wild hair Dan's roguish charm remained, but he had obviously adhered to the diet and training regiment they had set up which had allowed him to fill out a bit.  
The image of strength and health had sent Takeshi's instincts into overdrive, telling him to claim Dan for the pack, he could feel the power of the blessing rise, urging him to change Dan so that he could become a true beta.  
A beta who would know what it meant to be a beta, who would understand the claim, and who could invite the chase.  


But the moment the raijū sank its teeth into Takeshi's hand he was nearly overwhelmed by Dan's emotions, a garbled mixture of relief, joy, longing, fear and pain, all wrapped up in a fierce love that left him breathless.  
Kneeling down he focused his own emotions on the raijū, allowing it to relay them to Dan who was standing silent before him with tears slowly rolling down his face.  
When the raijū let go of his hand he rose and collected the long appendages and let them gently slip through his hands, letting it know there was no hard feeling for the blood drawn, the raijū was simply protecting Dan the only way it knew how to.  
Closing the final steps between them Takeshi gently wrapped his arms around Dan and held him tight for a moment before brushing his lips against his forehead, and asked for his forgiveness.  
He didn't stay to wait for the answer though, instead he walked away in silence, the intensity of Dan's love had left him unsettled and he didn't know how to handle it, he needed some time alone with his thoughts.  
He silently hoped that Dan would understand what he had actually apologized for.  


Takeshi knew the matter was far from done though, they would need to speak at length about it, and it would no doubt take a lot more than just words.  
Part of him dreaded it, he knew that it would mean speaking about his feelings, something he was woefully inept at, at the same time he was looking forward to it with eager anticipation.  
It would be an opportunity to bond with Dan on a deeper level, and feeling the younger man's love had made his own heart soar and he found himself praying that him returning that love was woven into the tapestry of the Fates.  


With a deep sigh he abandoned his human form in favor of that of the peregrine and took to the skies, he would do a quick survey if the island then head to the Sanctuary.  
A more thorough investigation to satisfy his instincts to secure his territory would have to wait.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Watching Emelie walk away in the opposite direction compared to Takeshi, Knight considered her parting words for a moment and decided he might as well get introductions over with, taking a deep breath he let loose the summoning whistle.  
Dan visibly jumped at the sharp sound and began to look rather worried when the fog rolled in, but when he spotted the demon steed his reaction was a rather odd one as his shoulders slumped with a deep, disappointed sigh.  
“Aw, and you looked **so** normal, huge, but normal.”  
“Hmpf, I am perfectly normal for a mixed blood, thank you very much.”  
Knight huffed with a grin as he greeted his steed, telling it to have a look around.  
Dan, not seeing the grin seemed to believe he had somehow offended Knight with his words and instantly began apologizing.  
“Ah, sorry, no offense intended, it's just, well, not many normal human adults around here.”  
Knight turned around, still grinning he put his hands rather heavily on Dan's shoulders.  
“None taken, now how about you stop having a nervous breakdown and get us moving?”  


Knight quickly found that it was rather amusing to tease the young head of security as he followed him around the island.  
He could feel his instincts telling him that the man was an immature beta, as well as revealing the fact that Dan was clearly attracted to males as well, though it quickly became clear that he was somewhat insecure and concerned about it, which Knight figured was understandable with the bigotry he had been witness to since his awakening.  
He listened carefully to Dan's words, respecting his obvious knowledge of modern methods, though some of the explanations and security systems made little sense to him and he explained to Dan that he would have to teach him about them as he had been _away_ for the past millennium.  
“Wait, seriously? You're over a thousand years old?”  
“Actually I'm around 5000 years old, but who keeps count?”  
“You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding.”  
Knight just shook his head with a smile which earned him another groan.  


After climbing one of the peaks of the old volcano for a better view of the island they sat down to catch their breaths, or rather to allow Dan to catch his.  
“So, what actually brings you here? Knowing Take it's not a normal _Hiring_ ad in the local newspaper.”  
Dan's curiosity finally got the better of his professionalism and he began questioning the newcomer in a more private manner.  
“Indeed, he is not one for doing things the normal way.”  
Knight grinned as he launched into the tale of how he was captured, and how Takeshi found him and freed him, though he did leave out the darker details as he was unsure how much Takeshi was willing to let the others know of what had happened, so he would leave it to him to tell the full story if he chose to.  
“How about you, how did you end up here?”  
With the question turned around on him Dan told him of meeting Takeshi in Gothenburg, the shock when he realized who he was, and the even bigger shock later in D.C when Takeshi showed him **what** he was.  


“So, how about we try to do what Em asked us to? She can get really scary...”  
“Indeed she can, she is succubus, and lilim, it's in her nature to lead.”  
Knight agreed with a smile.  
“Her and Take both...”  
Dan huffed softly.  
“Indeed.”  
Knight stood up in a smooth motion before offering Dan his hand and when accepted he pulled him to his feet.  
Dan quickly brushed the leaves and twigs from his pants before turning to Knight.  


“How about we start with the basics. Would you prefer a home on beach, in the forest, or maybe the mountainside?”  
“I grew up in a mountain city, a past and a home that is now lost to me. I don't think I want to be reminded of it.”  
Dan nodded softly before continuing.  
“So, forest of beach?”  
“I've never lived by the ocean before.”  
“I guess we will be looking at beachfront properties then.”  
Knight just snorted at the obvious salesman act.  
Knight's eagerness to find a spot to settled down helped Dan relax a bit and allowed his playful nature to resurface and before long they were walking back down to the base of the volcano.  
Chattering about anything and everything they made their way to the back of the island, and the coves hidden between outcroppings of black, volcanic, stone.  


“This is obsidian...”  
Knight brushed his hand over the frozen, black, flow as it plunged down toward the water.  
“Yeah. We have quite a lot of it here.”  
“It's rare to see such pure obsidian in these quantities.”  
“Yeah, you normally don't even get obsidian here, apparently the composition of the lava is wrong. But the Mother has worked to make this island different, there's even a beach with obsidian sand.”  
“Oh? I would very much like to see that.”  
“Come on, this way.”  
Dan quickly headed toward the black beaches.  
“This one is just volcanic stone, but there's a smaller one hidden behind those cliffs there that has obsidian sand.”  
Rounding the cliffs they stepped out from the dense foliage onto the small beach and Knight immediately stilled, looking out over the small parcel of land before them.  
“It's beautiful...”  
“Yeah, it is.”  
They stood in silence for a few minutes before Dan spoke up again.  
“So, want to settle here if they okay it?”  
“Yeah, I would. I would love to make my home here.”  
“So, what kind of house would you like? A bungalow perhaps?”  
“A what?”  
Dan smiled at Knight's confusion before grabbing the small tab he carried and started showing Knight what a beach bungalow was.  


“This looks quite interesting.”  
Knight pointed toward an overwater bungalow resting on piles.  
“It is. If you build here you would have to use a similar design to avoid flooding, the sea can rise quite high during the monsoon season.”  
“You truly believe they will agree to allow me to settle this beach?”  
Knight's question held an eagerness that made Dan smile, but he didn't know if the beach would pass the geological survey so he just shrugged.  
“I don't know.”  
He was convinced though that if the area passed the survey Knight would be allowed to settle there.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


The odd incident on the beach had Emelie slightly concerned about Dan, she had really grown to like him, especially since he moved to the island and they really got a chance to get to know each other.  
She knew he loved Takeshi deeply, and while Takeshi's instincts regarding Dan left him confused about his feelings for him she was convinced there was true love there was well, but she also knew that Takeshi was Takeshi.  
The man had some serious issues with dealing with, and speaking about emotions, but maybe this would finally force him to work with himself and start getting past those issues.  
His deep desire to protect should ensure that.  


She knew Dan had his own issues as well, he was so scared that they would reject him for being bisexual, scared that Takeshi would be upset about a man being in love with him, desiring him.  
While it did cause quite a bit of amusement since Dan was so good at reading people and situations and yet was so completely blind in that specific area, it also caused her to be concerned.  
She was worried that there might be some deeper trauma behind it, Sweden might be considered a highly tolerant nation, but that didn't mean there wasn't bigotry and abuse there as well.  
She knew Dan had upped and left his family, moving straight across the country for a job, and she suspected that his sexual orientation might have played a part in that decision.  


In the end she figured it might be for the best if they just got their feelings out there, and had some mind blowing sex, even if Takeshi would no doubt say he didn't know if he loved Dan or not, or even say he didn't.  
He would no doubt err on the side of caution in order to not give Dan false hope, and she had a feeling Dan wouldn't care if Takeshi loved him or not as long as his love was accepted.  


Stepping into the inner garden she found utter and total chaos as the twins were trying to tell the other girls all about their adventures.  
“Did you really see fairies?”  
Diane spun around and started asking questions.  
“Well, they look like fairies, but they are something called Sylphs. They are air elementals. Fairies belong to a family called Fae. Me met several different elemental spirits, but the main ones were the Sylphs who are creatures of air and wind, Nymphs who are water, Salamanders who are fire, and Dryads who are earth and plants, mainly trees.”  
She explained to the girls about the various creatures they had come across, both the nature and elemental spirits as well as the reborn avatar and the smith, Isa.  


“Were the spirits pretty?”  
Julia's eager question made Emelie smile.  
“Mhm, they were really beautiful. I have some pictures of them if you want to look later, then maybe you can draw or sculpt them.”  
She didn't mention they had a sylph with them, and she knew the twins hadn't said anything as they were the ones who demanded they promise to keep the sylph and her children a secret until they could make a big reveal.  
“Did Take screw them?”  
“Lissa, mind your language around the little ones.”  
“Sorry...”  
“Did he?”  
Amanda repeated Melissa's question with a teasing tone.  
“Of course he did.”  
Emelie huffed softly.  
“Were they nice?”  
The girls didn't seem the last bit bothered by the somewhat crude question, and it made Emelie happy as it showed they were recovering nicely from the horrors they had been exposed to at the hands of Roberts.  


“Well Carol, that's not really an easy question to answer. They are like humans, most of them are nice, but some are really bad.”  
“Did you meet any bad ones?”  
“We did.”  
She only gave them a brief version of their meeting with the Forest Queen, in part not to scare them, and in part not to reveal the sylph, but she could tell they weren't entirely satisfied, especially Melissa and Amanda clearly knew there was more to it.  


“Where is Take?”  
Alice sounded slightly concerned that Takeshi hadn't joined them at the house yet.  
“He's out checking the island, and collecting his thoughts. You know how he is when he gets emotional.”  
“Mhm...”  
“He will be all kissy when he gets back, won't he?”  
“Yeah, he will. But remember, you don't have to allow him to kiss you. If you're not comfortable with it you have to tell him _No,_ promise?”  
“We know!”  
“We promise!”  
“That's good.”  
She praised them with a smile before asking them to tell her about what they had been doing the past year.  


A few hours later Emelie left to look for Dan and Knight and found the two of them sitting by the water in one of the small coves on the back of the island where Dan was showing Knight pictures of various small bungalows on his tab.  
“So this is where you guys have been hiding?”  
Dan startled pretty badly as she spoke while leaning in to have a closer look.  
“Dammit Em! Trying to give me a heart-attack?”  
Emelie just snickered softly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
“Now why would I do that you our sweet little Dan?”  
“Because your evil just like Take?”  
Dan's grumbling made her break into a full laugh.  
“You shouldn't let your attention drift quite so much. She didn't hide her aura, making her approach quite easy to sense.”  
Knight added with a mix of teasing and gentle scolding.  
“Yeah, well... I'm not very good at feeling that stuff yet. I can feel it if some had hostile intent, but beyond that, not so much...”  
“That is a good start, and what is the most important.”  
Knight's teasing praise made Dan blush and he was grateful when Em took the tab from his hands and looked out over the small beach.  


“I take it this is where you wanna live?”  
She didn't turn to look at Knight, instead she looked out over the area and tried to imagine what it would look like with a bungalow.  
“If it is acceptable with you and your Alpha, then yes, I would very much like to make my home here. It's calm but very much alive, I like it.”  
There was a slight hesitation in his voice, places like these were usually claimed even if no one actually lived there.  
“As long as the geological survey clears it for construction it's fine with us.”  
At Knight's confused look Emelie quickly explained that they had to make sure that the land was stable and that it would be safe to build here, both for him and for the sustainability of the nature around them.  
“We will have a closer look at it later, but for now you can use one of the rooms in the main house. But enough on that subject, I came to bring you back to the house, you don't want to miss the feast, do you?.”  
“Actually, I...“  
Dan started to object but Emelie nailed him with a glare.  
“Don't even think about it, the twins haven't seen you in nearly a year, whatever the issue is with you and Take you will either work it out, or set it aside for now and you **will** be there!”  


Dan was about to object again but thought better of it when Emelie flared her aura and displayed her wings slightly unfolded, Knight instantly recognized the threatening display of dominance and forced his aura into a more submissive pattern so he wouldn't trigger her further, and Dan seemed to instinctively understand that it would be a bad idea to push the issue.  
“As you wish...”  
When Dan backed down and bared his neck slightly Emelie nodded and folded her wings back into their normal position before they vanished as her aura receded.  
Reaching out she put her hand on his shoulder for a moment before brushing the back of her hand against his face.  
“You did well. You will need to remember this, Take has changed, his instincts become more prominent. You will need to remember how to submit.”  
“I know, I remember.”  
“Good. Now go back to your office and give Ethan a call so he can check the location and maybe drop a few suggestions, when you're done with that you will join us in the inner garden.”  
“I will.”  


She watched Dan walk away before she motioned for Knight to follow her and headed of in the opposite direction from Dan.  
“You are growing into your instincts, _Lilim_.”  
Knight's words broke the silence they had been walking in and Emelie looked over her shoulder at him.  
“How so?”  
“Your display back there, you acted like a true demon, demanding his submission in the way a demon would.”  
“Oh, I didn't know that. There's so much I don't know or understand about being a demon.”  
Knight picked up on the solemn note in her voice and placed his hand on her shoulder as a gesture of support.  
“Don't worry, I will teach you what I can, and I will help you search for someone who can teach you more about being a Lilim, about being a succubus. And even if we don't find anyone you have good instincts, you are learning well on your own.”  
“Perhaps I am.”  
She agreed hesitantly before returning to silence as they walked back to the house.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


As he walked away from Emelie and the newcomer Dan found his mind quickly spiraling back into chaos, confusion and fear.  
The giant of a man, male, seemed to be a nice enough guy, and Dan found himself somewhat attracted to him, he gave off that same calm vibe that Takeshi did, a feeling of safety that inspired trust.  
But at the same time Knight had him terrified, afraid that arrival of the obviously more than mortal male would mean the end of his time at the island, his time with Takeshi.  
With a quivering breath he focused on calming down so Ethan wouldn't notice something was wrong before having the computer dial the number to the sat-phone that Takeshi had given Ethan.  


“Hello, Ethan Wright speaking.”  
Ethan picked up almost instantly.  
“Hi Ethan.”  
“Oh, hi Dan. It's been a while. What can I do for you?”  
“Well, as you no doubt figured already we have a job for you.”  
“No kidding. You never call me unless there's a job.”  
“Sorry...”  
Ethan mock whined, but there was something in the tone of the apology that made him regret his words and apologize.  
“Sorry Dan, I didn't mean it like that.”  
“How about we just forget about that and get down to business?”  
Dan was clearly unsettled about something so Ethan agreed to the request, he really liked the guy and it seemed he was upset about something, maybe he would be able to get him to talk about it after the business talk was over.  
“Yeah, okay. So, what do you need me to do?”  


“We have a new arrival on the island in need of some private housing so we need you to arrange a detailed survey of the obsidian beach to see if it's suitable for construction.”  
“One moment, I'll get the old survey data. But if I remember correctly that area is somewhat unstable and prone to monsoon flooding.”  
“Yeah, I recall reading something like that too. You think it would make any difference that the guy really fell for the overwater bungalow style? With those tall stilts keeping it off the ground?”  
“Well, a deep pile foundation is the only way we can really build there anyway.”  
“Oh, I see. Good thing he liked them then.”  
“Mhm...”  
Ethan hummed to himself a bit while checking the data on his computer.  


“Well, it looks okay as long as we make sure the piles go down into the bedrock and put the floor at least 150cm above the ground level to account for flooding.”  
“The guy is seriously tall, so would it be possible to raise it up more like 250 to 300cm? Then he would be able to walk underneath it.”  
“Yeah, if you replace the piles with that crazy crystal you use that won't be a problem. How tall is that guy to need that kind of elevation?”  
Ethan's question wasn't just curiosity, if the person was extremely tall it could be advisable to make adjustments to the designs to accommodate that.  
“He's about 210 to 220cm, I don't know exactly. But I'll make sure to have him measured before we make any plans as he is pretty wide too, we will definitely need to make custom door frames for him to be comfortable.”  
“Okay. I'll order a detailed survey, do you want me to send you some templates for bungalows to work with?”  
“Yeah, please. Also, this guy is really old fashioned, so maybe try to go for some old school styles?”  
“Old fashioned as in really he's really old?”  
Thankfully the satellite phone that Take had given Ethan had some serious security so it was okay to mention things like demons over the phone.  
“Yeah, some 5000 years old. And he's been out of the game for the past 1000 or so.”  
Dan knew that Takeshi wouldn't mind that he shared the information with Ethan.  


“So, can you share anything about who this new guy is?”  
“Sure...”  
Ethan didn't miss the slight hesitance, but he pushed on anyway, making sure to thorough interrogate Dan about the new arrival and slowly Ethan began to get an idea what was bothering Dan.  
The young head of security seemed to think no one had noticed the way he would look at and interact with Takeshi, but it was quite obvious he was in love with him and was now afraid of being replaced on the island.  
Ethan found himself sympathizing with Dan, as scary as Takeshi could be he was good looking and could be seriously charming when he wanted to and Ethan had actually had more than one rather hot dream featuring the insane male.  
Though, he blamed that on the way Takeshi would always touch and tease, and those seriously intense kisses he would occasionally be handing out when he got emotional.  
He didn't think for a second that Takeshi would replace Dan though, but Dan clearly had some insecurities, and those wouldn't just go away.  


Hanging up the phone Dan found that talking to Ethan had actually calmed him down a bit, but he was pretty sure it wouldn't last very long.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


After flying a quick lap around the island Takeshi made a dive toward the center, and the jacaranda tree that marked the entrance to the Sanctuary.  
Quickly returning to his true form he entered the Sanctuary and headed toward the soul tree, though, by the time he reached it he was covered by the various creatures that made the glowing cavern their home.  


“ _ **Welcome home, you have grown stronger.”**_  
The voice of the mother was soft, but teasing as he entered the inner sanctum and sat down at the base of the crystal jacaranda.  
“I have...”  
He conceded with a sigh and leaned back against the trunk with his eyes closed.  
_**“You are worrying too much again.”**_  
“How can I not? I've managed to upset and hurt Dan somehow and I have no idea where to start...”  
_**“Well, a good start would be to head to the house and not hide away here.”**_  
“Cheeky old...”  
He huffed as the disembodied voice but she just laughed at him.  
She was right of course, but he needed some time to collect his thoughts, and bantering with the ancient Avatar helped calm his mind.  
_**“Now, tell me of your adventures.”**_  
“Like you weren't watching?”  
_**“Of course I was, but I want to hear it in your words.”**_  
With a deep breath Takeshi started telling her about the past year, everything they had done, and she gently prodded him to get him to open up about how he felt about the various things, and occasionally scolded, or teased, him gently when he got frustrated about not finding his words, and not having anyone to kiss.  


“Come, join me in the dreamscape.”  
Takeshi was more than happy to enter into meditation and slipping into the dreamscape, he knew She did it so that he would have something to interact with, a body he could hold, and kiss.  
And maybe more, it wouldn't be the first time he bedded the avatar while in the dreamscape, though, he didn't think it would come to that this time.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Remember, the girls will probably be a bit scared of you.”  
Emelie gently cautioned Knight as they approached the house.  
“I know, I will do my best to show I can be trusted.”  
“They know we wouldn't bring someone bad here, but scars like those don't heal easily.”  
“I know, I have dealt with victims before.”  
“I know you have. I'm just fretting... I know they will want to trust you and include you, but they won't be able to help getting scared at times, and that will make them sad.”  
“Don't worry, I will make sure to let them know I'm not offended by their fear.”  
“Promise you won't try to deny if it makes you sad though. Truth and honesty is the base we build our family on.”  
“I promise.”  
“And if they manage to piss you off, which they no doubt will from time to time, walk away and calm down if you don't think you can explain to them calmly why you are angry right away.”  
She reminded him about the house rules in regards to any grievances they might have with each other.  
“I will.”  


When they stepped into the inner garden the activity instantly froze for a moment before the girls approached slowly.  
“I'm sure you all noticed this little guy at the landing pad. He will be living with us here and help protect you girls.”  
Calling Knight Little had the intended effect of making the girls laugh and relax slightly and they relaxed further when he sat down on the flooring and the twins pounced and he allowed them to knock him flat on his back.  
“I'm Carol, what's your name?”  
“Hello Carol.”  
Knight did give Emelie a hesitant look asking for her guidance about what to say about his name.  
“Okay girls, I need you to listen up. I know you want to know his name, but he is very old, and has had a lot of names, many of them bringing bad memories so we will be giving him a new name.”  
“Okay, but what do we call now?”  
“Mr Knight!”  
The twins instantly piped up.  
“Indeed, Mr Knight or just Knight will do nicely, Take and I might just call him Big Guy though.”  
“I'm Amy! What kind of name will you get?”  
“Hello Amy. I don't know yet, I will leave it up to your alphas to find something.”  
“Actually, I think we will let Dan come up with something as he is the one who will create your new identity, he's getting pretty good at it.”  
Emelie added her own explanation as the girls approached one by one to greet Knight properly.  


“How would you girls like to meet my steed?”  
With introductions properly done Knight figured he might as well let his steed meet the girls as well.  
“A steed is a horse, right?”  
Anne's soft question made Emelie smile.  
“Usually yes, but it can be other animals as well. Knight's steed is actually a demon, but it looks a lot like a horse.”  
“So, do you want to meet him?”  
“Okay!”  
“Come on then, we need to go somewhere with a bit more space.”  


Together they headed out to the front garden and the clearing in front of the house where Knight let out the summoning whistle.  
The rolling fog did cause a few whimpers, but when they notices that the twins weren't scared they calmed down.  
“Wow!”  
“He's huge!”  
“He looks a bit like friesian.”  
“Yeah, until you see those fangs and horns...”  


Knight and Emelie just stood silently and listened to the girls' reactions to the huge creature and once the conversation settled down Knight grabbed Emelie and tossed her onto the steed's back to show he was safe.  
“You can come closer if you want to, he likes girls.”  
“Not to eat I hope...”  
“Don't worry. He does eat meat but he wouldn't hurt anyone unless I tell him to, or if someone tries to hurt him, or anyone I have told him to protect.”  
Anne was the first one to approach and hold out her hand for the steed so it could smell her, it didn't settle for her hand though and quickly started sniffing at her hair while snorting happily.  
When the steed lowered its head and gently nudged Anne Knight quickly explained what it wanted.  
“Here, scratch him behind the middle horn, it's a really hard to reach spot so he loves it when people help him scratch it. And don't worry, you can grab the other horns and pull if you can't reach.”  
When she gently tugged on the horn that curved forward the steed took a small step back before folding it's legs and lowering itself to the ground which made Emelie yelp in surprise.  
The somewhat undignified yelp made everyone laugh and it broke the tension and the others quickly approached and started patting and scratching the spots that Knight suggested while asking a thousand questions about the creature.  


“Is he a stallion or a gelding?”  
Amanda's question made Knight frown slightly at the suggestion that his steed was gelded but he quickly pushed the reaction aside for later, well aware that not only were they only familiar with mortal horses, but the views could have changed a lot since his time.  
“He is an intact stallion. These demon steeds rarely accept a rider so the ones that does are very valuable for breeding, even the wild ones are uncommon. Therefore they are never gelded.”  
“Oh, I see. And I didn't mean to offend you. I just asked cause most male horses nowadays are gelded, they only keep the best intact.”  
“It's okay you didn't, not really. It was the thought of gelding one of these rare creatures that upset me slightly. I'm aware that humans often geld their horses to make them easier to manage.”  


Knight quickly found that he enjoyed the way Takeshi and Emelie had chosen to teach their pack, their family, to deal with issues, to quickly air any issues before they could fester was an excellent choice.  
As was the rule that if you couldn't talk about it calmly you would leave until you had calmed down, possible asking someone to mediate or act as an intermediate to ensure issues wouldn't remain unresolved.  


“Can I touch his hooves?”  
“Of course you can. He is really intelligent so he will let you know if you do something he doesn't like.”  
Turning to the steed Knight leaned in and whispered something to it and a moment later it voiced a sharp sound that sounded a bit like a mix between a snort and a growl and the girls instantly froze for a moment before pulling their hands back.  
“You see, you understood him just fine.”  
The soft snorts and nickers that followed quickly had the girls returning to patting and scratching, while Melissa helped Carol and Amy to have a closer look at the massive hooves.  


“Wow, they are huge!”  
“Mhm, his dame had paws though, not hooves.”  
“So his dad had hooves?”  
“I don't know, he's wildborn and I never saw the stallion that sired him. But I actually think it had clawed feet as well.”  
Knight didn't mention that he had found the dam dead, being eaten by a predator and the young colt nearby, unable to survive on it's own it was destined to become prey for one of the many creatures of the demonic plains.  
“Then how come he has hooves?”  
“I really don't know. You can see both hooves and paws or clawed feet within the same breed. The variation is much greater than in human animals.”  
“Okay, that's weird...”  
“Perhaps. But remember, he is a demon, and demons are different.”  
Knight agreed, and explained softly.  
“Now, does anyone want to try riding him?”  
The happy squeals that followed made Knight and Emelie wince slightly while the steed snorted in alarm which instantly made the girls settle down.  


“ _They have really good instincts.”  
“Mhm, they do.”_  
The silent conversation continued as Knight called forth the tack and lifted the girls up one by one and walked around the garden with them, or let the steed walk, or trot, them around, depending on how secure they felt in the saddle.  
“Okay girls, that's enough. We need to start preparing food. Knight here can eat almost as much as Take.”  
They had spend well over two hours getting to know Knight and his steed when Emelie decided it was time to prepare some food.  
“If it is alright with you I would like to take a ride around the island to allow my steed to explore a bit.”  
“Of course. Go ahead.”  
She knew Knight would be able to feel her across the entire island so she would simply reach out for him when they were ready to eat.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


When Takeshi returned to the house he was met by the mouthwatering smell of fish, meat and vegetables being grilled and when he entered the inner garden he found the tables already set and piled high with food, and in the pit a whole lamb was roasting, it wouldn't be done until later in the evening though.  
The current meal was fish and seafood along with vegetables and rice.  


“Take!”  
The moment he was spotted the girls dropped what they were doing and rushed him, but he did notice that Dan tensed up a bit.  
“Hello girls.”  
He quickly found himself at the bottom of the usual dogpile and after a few minutes of wrestling he took them down one by one, gave them a good wrestle and a kiss on the forehead before chasing them back to the table.  


The moment the were done eating Dan excused himself and fled to his office which made Emelie sigh, but Takeshi just shook his head, indicating to to let Dan be.  
“Sarah, Maria, why don't you show the others you special lessons after we clean this up?  
“Okay!”  
The happy chirps made the others curious what kind of lessons it could be.  


“Take, do you know what's wrong with Dan?”  
Emelie prodded gently when the girls were distracted with the stories about Greece that the twins were sharing.  
“Not really. I have a few ideas, but please, I rather not talk about until I have had a chance to talk to him about it.”  
“Okay.”  
Emelie snuck her tail around his wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze.  
“Don't worry, I'm sure you guys will work it out.”  
“I hope so...”  
“I said you will, so stop worrying.”  
A slight scolding edge entered her voice so Takeshi huffed and nodded before grabbing another pile of of plates and sorting them into one of the trays of the heavy duty commercial type dishwasher before sliding the tray into the unit.  
With the arrival of the girls they had quickly abandoned doing the dishes by hand and invested in a small restaurant washer, though they didn't use regular detergent, instead they used a compound that the mother had created for them to make sure it wouldn't harm the environment in any way.  
And thanks to using plates and glassware made from sanctuary crystal they could supercharge both pressure and heat without risking stuff breaking.  


“It's amazing how much they have grown...”  
After helping with cleaning up after their meal Takeshi settled down with Emelie and watched the girls study the various texts on Greece with avid curiosity.  
“They're kids and teens, what did you expect when you haven't seen them in almost a year?”  
Emelie huffed at him which earned her a rather harsh kiss courtesy of a somewhat emotional Takeshi.  
“They are still pretty damned amazing. Just look at them, look at how confident Julia has become in her reading.”  
Takeshi's obvious pride at seeing Julia read out loud from the text made Emelie huff and tut at him teasingly.  
“They are so grown up. Any day now they'll be wanting to start dating boys.”  
The low growl that followed her teasing quip made her break down laughing.  
“Poor Take, whatever will you do when that day comes?”  
“Make all the boys vanish?”  
The deadpan suggestion only made her laugh harder which earned her a soft nip on the ear that made her turn with a purr and pounce him, they did restrain themselves though and settled for kissing and cuddling while keeping an eye on the roasting lamb.  
It didn't take long before the twins joined them, and soon after the other girls came one by one and made themselves comfortable at the edge of the pile.  


“So, what have you girls been up to?”  
The simple question triggered a rather chaotic stream of stories detailing everything and anything that had happened at the island since Takeshi and the others left.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Homecoming_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


After the meal Kasumi sat in one of the piles of pillows laid out on the deck and watched her Kage, the brother of her heart, and occasional lover, interact with the girls and she noted to herself that he was changed.  
Whatever had happened to almost break the bond had changed something within him and she could feel it in how his energies flowed when his aura brushed against the auras of the girls, even in its interactions with her own.  
There had always been a fine balance between subservience and dominance in his interactions with her, a balance between his position as _Kage_ and his otherwise rather dominant personality but that balance had shifted.  
It seemed as if the part of him that was her _Kage_ had perished and been reborn as something else, his aura no longer submitted to hers when she brushed against it, instead it flared slightly, as if demanding that she submit to him.  


When Takeshi returned from his little inspection she couldn't help the slight pang of pain and dare she say envy when she noticed how his aura reached out for Emelie's and the newcomer's and the moment they touched the slight edge of tension that had been there vanished and was replaced by a calm contentment.  
It was clear that whatever had happened during their travels had created a deep bond between them, even the twins unconsciously reached out and joined in the blending of auras.  
With a sigh she leaned back, maybe it was just as well that he was finding a family of his own, his own way and no longer defining himself by what the elders had made him into.  
After watching them for a few more minutes Kasumi decided that the next time they stood before the council she would release him of his oath, she would use the fact that the council had formally selected an heir, even if it was not a real person, to release him, give him back his name.  
As the made up heir supposedly was their son she could press that it no longer matter if Takeshi was _Kage_ , with an heir to secure the family name she no longer needed a _Kage_ to protect her, and Takeshi could no longer challenge for the position of head even if he wasn't _Kage_ anymore.  
With a deep sigh she got up and headed toward the kitchen, there were a few side dishes she wanted to prepare for the upcoming meal.  


As the roasting lamb was nearing completion the mood quickly turned festive and everyone helped prepare a wide range of side dishes.  
“Let's make some hasselback potatoes, garlic baked mushrooms and red wine sauce, it will make Dan really happy.”  
Emelie quickly gathered a pile of nice potatoes, the butter pot, salt, pepper and a sprig of rosemary and handed them to Takeshi.  
“You're better than me at making those perfect little slices.”  
“Shouldn't you be practicing then?”  
He teased lightly.  
“Maybe. But you should be the one to make it for Dan.”  
“Okay, I see your point.”  
Takeshi leaned in and thanked her with a soft kiss, anything that might help Dan open up was more than welcome.  
While Takeshi started working on the potatoes Emelie fetched the items needed to make the mushrooms and sauce.  


“Okay girls, gather around.”  
Emelie rounded up the girls and once she had their attention she began handing out tasks.  
“Take will be making some special treats for Dan, so let's focus on making the others things.”  
“Okay.”  


A soft knock on the door brought Dan out of his brooding and when he called out for whoever it was to enter the door slid open and revealed Emelie.  
“Come on Dan, dinner is ready and the girls have helped make quite a feast.”  
“Em, I don't...”  
“Shush. I told you you will not be sneaking away today.”  
“Fine, whatever...”  
Overcome with a surge of frustrating he snapped at her as he stood up.  
“Dan, please don't do that. You know I'm right.”  
She scolded him gently for snapping at her.  
“Sorry...”  
“I know.”  
A quick hug settled the matter and they headed down to the inner garden to join the others.  


With preparations complete Kasumi returned to her pile of pillows to watch over the setting of the tables and while Takeshi and the girls worked Emelie headed to the second floor to get Dan.  
However when Dan joined them things quickly turned downright strange, Kasumi knew that Dan had been missing Takeshi, probably more than anyone else at the estate and definitely more than he admitted to, but now he seemed almost hesitant to approach and he was obviously confused about something.  
The normally talkative young man was being silent and withdrawn and he was drinking a lot more than he normally would, while he was never one to stay away from the bottle he would rarely drink himself more than a bit tipsy and never in front of the girls.  
But now the night had barely started, the girls had not yet left to go to bed and he was well on his way to getting wasted.  
Kasumi was just about to go have a word with him when she noticed Emelie get up and go join him and listening carefully she could hear a hushed conversation in Swedish, something that further showed that something was wrong.  
Despite both of them being swedes Emelie and Dan always spoke English among the others out of respect for them, and Kasumi knew they usually spoke English in private as well.  


“ _Dan, det räcker nu! Om du tänker supa skallen i bitar så kan du vänta till tjejerna gått och lagt sig.”_  
Emelie took the half full bottle of moonshine from his hands and used her tail to place it out of reach while telling him off for getting as drunk as he was in front of the girls.  
_“Jag är inte på humör, lämna mig ifred.”_  
His voice was low as he snapped at her to leave him alone and began looking for his missing bottle.  
_“Jag skiter i om du är på humör eller inte, nånting är fel, så prata med mig.”_  
Emelie ignored his request to be left alone and carefully began to weave her power around him, making it act similarly to Takeshi's _suggestion_ to encourage Dan to talk to her about whatever it was that was bothering him and it was having some effect as he began to settle down a bit.  
_“Det är privat, okej?”_  


Emelie sighed at his response, it seemed Dan still hadn't truly realized that there was no such thing as real privacy when living surrounded by those who could read auras, those whose noses could accurately detect even the slightest shift in pheromones and who could hear changes in heartbeat and breathing rhythms and interpret them as accurately as spoken words.  
While they didn't intentionally pry, it was hard to avoid learning things about each other since they couldn't just shut of all their senses.  


“ _Vad är så privat? Att du har saknat honom, att du varit orolig för honom? Eller att du älskar honom?”_  
Dan looked surprised that she knew about his fears and the full scope of his feelings for Takeshi.  
_“Vi alltid vetat att du gillar honom, och vi har sett dina känslor växa. Idag, när du mötte oss, det var omöjligt att missa att du älskar honom.”  
_She gently told him that they knew about his feelings, that they had always known. _  
“Han...?”  
“Ja, han vet.”_  
Dan trembled slightly with emotion when she confirmed that Takeshi knew so she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.  
_“Gå och prata med honom, okej? Du vet att han bryr sig, att du betyder väldigt mycket för honom.”_  
Giving him a final nudge of her power to get him to talk to Takeshi about whatever it was that bothered him she gave him one last quick hug before walking over to join Kasumi.  


“So, did you find out what has him acting like that?”  
Kasumi didn't bother mincing her words when Emelie joined her.  
“Other than that is has something to do with his feelings for Take, not really.”  
Sitting down Emelie began to explain what she knew, maybe Kasumi could give her some insight that she had missed.  
“Something was off from the start, when Dan showed up to welcome us home he stayed back and his raijū went over to Take and bit him. And Take just walked over to Dan, hugged him and apologized before walking away.”  
“Apologized for what, and how, do you remember his exact words?”  
Emelie nodded, she was aware of how important fine details such as choice of words could be when dealing with Takeshi.  
“Yeah, _Gomen ne_. That's all he said, but it was enough to put Dan into total shock. I might have missed something though.”  
“Not overly formal, and not overly familiar, and most certainly not much help.”  
Kasumi sighed.  
“Well, whatever it is about I sensed quite a bit of fear and worry from Dan, while he stood there watching us it faded and was replaced with relief, my guess is that something had him worried about Take, and seeing him made it fade.”  
Emelie's words made Kasumi hum in agreement.  
“He was worried while you were gone. Whatever happened to Take to almost break the bond I know Dan felt it somehow, and I don't think he got it from me.”  
“Yeah, I'm getting a feeling there's a lot more to this than meets the eyes.”  
“There always is whenever my dear Kage is involved.”  
Emelie gave Kasumi a slight glare, it always upset her instincts when Kasumi voiced her claim on Take, but this time was different, Kasumi actually gave her an apologetic smile.  


“I guess there isn't much we can do other than to wait, and watch. And hope they get their act together and work it out.”  
Again Kasumi just nodded softly in agreement to Emelie's words.  
Sitting back they watched Knight with the girls, allowing them to get to know him better while Takeshi watched, giving them the sense of security they needed to relax around the unfamiliar male.  
When the evening passed to night Melissa and Amanda ushered the other girls inside and made sure they went to bed, leaving the adults to reconnect.  
Emelie sighed as she noticed that Dan went straight for his bottle once the girls had left, she had hoped he would just bite the bullet and go talk to Takeshi.  
Shaking her head she turned her attention back to the game of Mahjong that Kasumi and Eriko had dragged her, Knight and Matthews into, trying to teach them the complex rules of the game.  
A few games later they were interrupted by Dan's voice rising in agitation and it took quite a bit of effort to pretend to keep playing, to give them what privacy they could offer.  


 

 

 


	2. Confessions

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Dammit Take, I thought you were dead!”  
Dan's words were slurred and his aura flared with emotion, fear, relief, desire, anger and confusion but most of all, love.  
It seemed that his inebriated state had caused what emotional control he had to slip and now he was desperately venting those emotions.  
“I'm sorry. I never meant to make you worry.”  
Takeshi reached out for Dan, but he was too agitated to accept the gesture.  
“You know, after you fixed my eyes I could feel you, even after you left I could feel you.”  
Confusion passed through Takeshi's aura, only to be replaced by comprehension as he realized what must have happened, somehow using his blood to heal Dan's eyes had changed more than just his eyes, some small portion of the Blessing must have taken root and allowed Dan's strong emotions to form a bond with him.  
“When the feeling vanished I knew, I knew you were hurt, or worse.”  


Dan's voice broke down into ramblings mixed with sobs as he became increasingly distraught and in the end Takeshi pulled him close, trying to soothe him.  
Whatever bond the fragment of the Blessing had created it would seem it was powered by Takeshi's energies, not Dan's, so when he fell after carrying the weapons and artifact from the Louvre that bond was lost, and for some reason it had not been reformed after he regained his strength.  


“Ssh, it's okay, I'm back, I'm okay.”  
Takeshi drew soothing circles on Dan's back as the young man desperately clung to him, and while he did he carefully unfolded the energies of the Blessing, trying to see if he could find the lost bond and reactivate it, hoping that it could calm Dan.  
When he found the trace of the bond he allowed the power of the Blessing to flow into it and he could feel the shift in Dan's aura when the bond began to reform, but this time Takeshi could feel a tiny trickle of energy answering the call of his own power.  
When he touched that trickle he could feel a bond form and lock into place, just as strong as his _Dantai_ bond to Kasumi and the _Pack_ bond to Emelie and the moment it was completed he could feel Dan relax in his arms.  
“You are important to me. I will always return to you as long as I have any say in the matter.”  
“ _Jag..._ I... _Jag..._ ”  
Dan whispered into Takeshi's chest, barely awake, unable to form the words of his confession but with the bond fully formed no words were needed, and even without the bond Takeshi would still have known as Dan's aura was screaming the words his mouth could not form.  
“I know silly, I know. Sleep now, we will talk more in the morning when you've had a chance to sober up.”   
Takeshi gently hushed the crying man while pulling him tightly into his arms.  


“ _ **He has a strong heart, and an even stronger spirit, we should claim him as Pack as soon as possible. Not to mention that even without any knowledge of how to wield power he was able to use the fragment of the Blessing carried in your blood to form a bond, a powerful bond very similar to that of a true Pack.”**_  
With Dan slowly settled down in Takeshi's arms the Beast chose to speak up.  
_“It's too early. This must not be rushed. Not with how strongly he feels, I can't, I won't risk doing anything that might end up taking advantage of that._  
_**“I had a feeling you would say that. Give him time, but when the moment comes do not hesitate either.”**_ _  
“I won't.”_  
It was a promise given more to himself than anything.  
With Dan soundly sleeping Emelie and Knight approached them and without a word they helped Takeshi move to one of the piles of pillows, making sure not to wake Dan before they both curled around them under the cover of Emelie's wing.  


“I have a feeling things just got a whole lot more complicated, and interesting.”  
Eriko noted to Matthews with a grin as she watched the group settle in and fall asleep, it was obvious it was not the first time they rested in a pile, she would guess it was how they would usually sleep.  
“You get used to that when dealing with that blasted kid.”  
Matthews' good natured grumblings made the old fox laugh her bright laugh before curling into his side and settling down.  


“Take, are you okay?”  
Emelie spoke softly, making sure she wouldn't wake Dan.  
“Not really, but I will be.”  
He carefully pulled Dan close and burrowed his face in the wild hair. Keeping him close, feeling his breath against the skin at the crook of his neck helped him calm down.  
“Holding him like this though... It feels amazing...”  
The confession made Emelie brush the tip of her tail against his face while Knight chuckled softly.  
“Of course it feels good. A capable young beta, even if not fully awakened, showing you favor and trust. It would make any alpha's instincts soar. The fact that he is also strong, healthy and very good looking only adds to his value.”  
Knight's obvious appreciation of Dan made Takeshi voice a low, displeased, growl.  
“Easy Take. I may be an alpha, but I have never felt the desire to claim a beta, and I have no intention to try to claim your beautiful little Dan.”  
Knight paused for a moment and carefully schooled his aura into a more submissive pattern.  
“I find him attractive yes, and I will gladly bed him if he is willing, but I swear I will not try to claim him in any way. He is yours and Em's, he is not for me to claim even if I had desired to do so.”  
The promise made Takeshi calm down a bit but there were still the occasional soft warning growl if Knight moved too close to Dan.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Dan woke up with a groan, the familiar pounding of a headache told him he had a few too many to drink last night and it took much longer than it should for his sleep addled mind to notice the unfamiliar warmth that he was curled up against.  
The solid weight of the arm draped over him combined with the lack of softness of the chest he rested against and the warm, spicy, scent that surrounded him told him that his sleeping partner was a man, but the remaining mists of last night's heavy drinking still covered his mind, refusing to allow him even the slightest hint as to who it might be.  
But it felt good, it felt right, so he was more than content to just stay where he was and wait for his mind to catch up.  


Takeshi could feel the moment Dan began to wake up, the slight pain and confusion from an obvious hangover came across the new bond loud and clear only to give way to a calm contentment as Dan burrowed himself deeper into his chest, and Takeshi found himself curious about what kind of reaction there would be once Dan realized just who he was snuggling up to.  
He could feel Emelie and Knight stir as well, no doubt alerted by the shift in Dan's aura and he could feel the amused curiosity radiate from them, it would seem they too wanted to see what kind of reaction there would be.  


As the headache began to fade away Dan's memories of the day before began to slip back into place, and he realized he knew the scent that enveloped him, somehow he had ended up sleeping snuggled tightly into Takeshi's chest.  
He couldn't remember just how that had happened though, he must have had a lot more to drink last night than he was used to.  
And he realized he could feel Takeshi again, whatever bond had been created when his eyes were restored, the bond that had suddenly vanished while Takeshi and the girls were away, that bond was somehow back, and stronger than before, through it he could feel that Takeshi was awake, he could feel an amused curiosity.  
He wasn't entirely convinced it was real though, he had dreamed of Takeshi's return in countless ways, and the drams had always started out good, only to turn to nightmares.  


“Take, is this a dream?”  
Dan's voice was low, barely more than a whisper, hesitant and the taint of fear in his aura told of his worry of what the answer would be.  
“Do you want it to be?”  
Dan knew that Takeshi was awake, he could feel it through the bond but still he startled at the whispered answer.  
“I.. I don't know. If it is, then things could become quite interesting.”  
Dan's fingers traced an invisible pattern on Takeshi's chest and Takeshi could feel fire burning in their wake, fed by the strong desire radiating through the bond and he was just about to stop it when Dan stopped on his own.  
“But if it is a dream, it would end, I'd have to wake up and find it wasn't real.”  
He splayed his hand over Takeshi's heart and leaned his forehead against his chest before he continued.  
“If it's not a dream, I probably made a complete fool out of myself and things will be awkward at best, maybe I have even ruined what could have been, but I'd know you're safe. And you would really be here.”  
When Dan fell silent Takeshi could smell tears and feel his fear and insecurity growing stronger by the second.  
“As much as I want the dream, I can't stand the thought of it ending.”  
Dan was silent for a moment before continuing in a soft whisper.  
“I've missed you so much...”  


Takeshi pulled Dan closer for a moment before taking his hand and removing it from his chest to break the link that seemed to enhance the emotional transfer of the bond.  
“Then I do believe you'll be relieved to know it's not a dream, and other than overindulging in that paint stripper you call moonshine in front of the girls you didn't make too much of a fool off yourself.”  
“Hey, _Hembränt_ is a time honored northern tradition, and has nothing to do with paint stripper!”  
The teasing dig at his skills at creating the Swedish version of home made distilled spirits seemed to snap Dan out of his subdued state as he instantly bit back, defending his brew.  
“It still **tastes** like paint stripper though.”  
Takeshi continued teasing with a grin, triggering a bout of good-natured bickering, but when Dan moved to get up from the pile of pillows Takeshi's arm tightened, keeping him down.  


“Stay, I can still feel your hangover through the bond, just please, mind your hands.”  
At his words Dan pulled back his hands as if burned and instantly apologized.  
“Sorry, I didn't mean to cross the line.”  
“Easy, you haven't crossed any lines, that's not what I meant. I might not return your love, but it doesn't offend me, and neither does your touch. Quite the contrary actually.”  
Takeshi quickly took hold of Dan's hand before he had a chance to hide it away and placed it back om his chest to prove his point.  
“The problem is that you are tapping into the bond, using it to transmit your desire rather strongly. And the touch greatly amplified the transmission, and it's...”  
Takeshi paused for a moment to collect his thoughts and suppress his physical reaction to Dan's desire.  
“It's distracting, to say the least.”  
Dan blushed vividly when he realized just what Takeshi was saying.  
“But don't worry, you'll learn control, and eventually you'll be able to choose if you transmit your emotions through bond or not, to control how strongly you transmit them.”  
Dan just nodded silently, still blushing brightly and attempting to hide his face by burrowing into Takeshi's chest.  
“And as I get used to the new bond I will learn to block out any excess emotional feedback from it, but until then I would appreciate it if you try not to let your mind wander too much if you touch me.”  
“I'll try, but I'm not making any promises, not if you keep tempting me like this.”  
Dan tugged lightly at the arm keeping him in place before settling down, moving slightly so his head was resting comfortably on Takeshi's shoulder.  
Leaning in Takeshi gave Dan a gentle kiss on the forehead.  
“I have missed you too my precious little Dan.”  
Dan huffed slightly at being called little, but Takeshi could feel the way his heart skipped a beat, and the way his emotions bloomed over the bond before settling on a content mixture of happiness, safety, and love.  
Allowing his own feelings to echo back at Dan Takeshi turned slightly so he could wrap his arms around the smaller man and spoke softly until Dan fell asleep again, which didn't take long.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“You know, it's rather remarkable how strongly they seem to love you, first your Lilim, now this beautiful little future beta of yours.”  
Knight, who had been watching the interactions even after Emelie had gone back to sleep voiced his thoughts on the matter once Dan was sleeping again.  
“I just wish he would find someone else to love.”  
The disapproving glare that met his words almost made Takeshi laugh.  
“Easy there big guy, you know I didn't mean it like that. You know what I told him was the truth. What I mean is that he deserves to love someone who returns his feelings. And I don't know if I ever will.”  
“Perhaps, but he could have done a lot worse you know. You truly care for him, for his well being, even for his heart.”  
Knight turned slightly, propping himself up on his arm so that he could look straight at Takeshi.  
“In the time since you freed me I have seen plenty of how narrow minded and bigoted this world can be, just like the one I left behind. While we traveled I saw how some would look at us, I could feel their reactions to the slightest show of affection or attraction between the two of us.”  
Takeshi could feel the emotions that simmered under the surface as Knight spoke.  
Ever since they released him from the crypt Knight had been very tactile and affectionate, not only toward Emelie, but toward Takeshi as well, he had explain that it was the way of his people.  
When choosing their partners, or bed mates, they cared little for species, and even less for gender or sex, and while Knight's heart preferred females he was no stranger to sharing his heart and bed with other males.  
Knight had also explained that he himself was a very physical person, showing his affection with touches and always wanting to be close, the same way Takeshi did, only less restrained.  
“He could have fallen for someone who would despise him, who would feel offended by the mere existence of his feelings, someone who would loathe him or even wish him harm merely for loving them.”  
“That it could have been worse does not mean he does not deserve better.”  
Takeshi was not prepared to concede his point, not this time.  
“Point taken.”  
Knight surrendered with a sigh and they both heard Emelie mutter about them being much too stubborn, much too early in the day.  
“She has a point you know. And I'm pretty sure you haven't slept yet. So how about you sleep and I will keep an eye on things?”  
This time Takeshi surrendered and with a teasing complaint he tucked his chin against the top of Dan's head and moments later he was sleeping.  


Knight estimated that Takeshi had been sleeping for about three hours when the army of girls poured into the garden carrying baskets of fruits and behind them came the other adults with carts piled high with other foods and plates.  
“Ah, breakfast in _bed_ , I kinda missed this.”  
Knight could tell Takeshi had a huge grin plastered on his face without even looking but he didn't get a chance to confirm it as he found himself with a lap full of succubus.  
“Come on, don't be stingy, let me have some since _someone_ is hogging my _breakfast._ ”  
He could feel her tugging at his aura, begging him to release it so that she could easily feed of it, and with a shake of his head he gave her what she was asking for.  
“So, loud mornings are perfectly normal I take it?”  
Knight watched with curiosity as the girls began setting the tables and getting everything ready for them to eat.  
“Hmpf, this is actually a rather calm morning.”  
Emelie muttered from his neck as she gave him an habitual nip which had him instantly hard courtesy of her power.  
There was no time to enjoy teasing her though as a soft groan brought their attention back to the pile of pillows and the still rather hungover Dan.  


“Still not a dream, right?”  
Dan speaks softly while trying to cover his ears from the sound of the girls milling about and Julia obviously noticed as she quickly hushed the others.  
“Nope, no such luck, you are stuck with us again.”  
Emelie chirped before anyone had a chance to say anything, causing Dan to splutter and hide a blush.  
“Now, how about I help you get into a shower and get rid of that hangover while the boys stuff their faces? 'Cause frankly, you don't look like you are ready for breakfast yet.”  
Watching Dan blanch and take on a slightly green hue at the mere mention of food had the others agreeing that it might be a good idea and Takeshi simply picked him up headed over to Emelie.  
“Go on, I'll be waiting here when you get back.”  
With a whispered promise and a soft kiss on the temple Takeshi dumped Dan into Emelie's waiting arms, causing quite a few laughs as she walked off, carrying the much larger man bridal style.  
There was a brief moment of objections before Dan thought better of it and settled down with his head leaning against hers.  
“That's better.”  
She cooed softly and carried him to his room, and the luxurious shower and bath within.  


“I don't need help taking a shower...”  
Dan objected softly when she helped him undress before sitting him down on the bed.  
“I know you don't, but I think you need to talk to someone a bit before you talk to Take.”  
She spoke softly while removing her own clothes so that she would be able to join him in the shower.  
“And I need a shower too, so we might as well kill two birds with one stone.”  
“Em!”  
Dan squeaked and blushed slightly when she stepped in front of him as naked as the day she was born.  
“Come on Dan, were both sensible adults.”  
“Yeah right, you just happen to be a hotter-than-hell sex demon...”  
Even Emelie's demonic senses almost missed the barely whispered _And I'm just a boring human_ as he turned away from her.  


“Dan, don't sell yourself short. You are very good looking, and you have a roguish charm that I happen to know for sure that **he** likes **very** much.”  
Her teasing words made him blush rather vividly as she ushered him into the shower and started washing his back.  
“And you have buffed up nicely.”  
She traced the muscles on his back with a clawed finger before turning him around and circling the pectorals and tracing down the abs, but when she passed the navel and snagged her claw in his happy trail Dan had enough and moved her hands away.  
She tutted and teased him softly about being shy, but she didn't try to touch him again, instead she turned her back to him and flicked her wings slightly, silently asking him to help her wash them.  
She didn't really need to wash her wings as any dirt on them would simply fall off when she retracted her wings into her soul, but she was hoping that getting Dan to wash her wings would help him settle down.  
“Just, please, move very slowly when close to the base. I do trust you, but sometimes I react on reflex and you aren't as durable as Take.”  
“Okay.”  
He took the soft sponge and meticulously cleaned her wings one at a time before slowly and carefully washing the base.  
“You can wash my tail too if you want to.”  
Her tone was clearly teasing and Dan froze for a moment.  
“But isn't that...?”  
He hesitated, recalling that her tail was a highly sensitive erogenous zone.  
“Mhm. But I'm okay with it if you want to, if you're curious.”  
Dan had to admit to himself at least that he was a bit curious, especially after having touched her wings.  


With a deep breath he added a bit more soap into the sponge and began carefully washing her tail, starting at the base and slowly working toward the tip before rinsing the suds away.  
He blushed rather vividly at the sounds she was making, and the way she moved against him, and the way it made him painfully hard in a matter of moments, she was after all drop-dead-gorgeous.  
He knew she was just teasing him though, offering him an outlet for his sexual frustrations before he had to face Takeshi, and while he appreciated what she was trying to do he found himself unable to accept.  
With a soft sigh he ran his hand along her tail as he had seen Takeshi do many times before gently kissing the bladed tip.  
“I know what you're tryin' to do, but I can't...”  
His words made her turn around and give him a quick peck.  
“I had a feeling you'd say that.”  
She gave him a nudge to sit down so she could comfortable reach his head.  


“Has he ever told you about your first meeting from his side?”  
Dan's soft moan when she started working the shampoo into his hair, gently dragging her claws along his scalp made her smile.  
“No, not really.”  
“Remember how he asked you to speak English?”  
“Mhm, something about not being sure his Swedish was sufficient...”  
“That wasn't entirely true, he was confident he would be able to manage, he simply needed you to repeat what you had said.”  
“Huh, why?”  
“Because he was so taken with you, especially your eyes, that he didn't hear a word of what you said.”  
The revelation made Dan laugh, and confess he had been equally taken with Takeshi and that he had been struggling to do his job properly.  
She continued to tell him about how Takeshi had acted all smitten, offering as much as she could of his own words about it, which really wasn't much as he hadn't been all that forthcoming.  


“You confuse him you know.”  
Emelie shook her wings to get rid of the excess water before folding them against her back and quickly toweling off before slipping into her simple top and turning to have Dan tie the neck-strap.  
“ **I** confuse **him**!?!”  
Dan's incredulous tone made Emelie laugh.  
“Mhm...”  
“How?”  
“You know he is pretty good at getting what he wants, and he's an incorrigible flirt.”  
“Duh...”  
Dan huffed as he pulled the tight fitting sleeveless T-shirt over his head.  
“He desires you, a lot. But for some reason he doesn't feel the urge to seduce you, to lure you to his bed. But he also told me more than once that if you should invite him to your bed, or ask to join him in his, he will be more than happy to oblige.”  
“You know, that would actually be him confusing himself...”  
There was a hint of a blush when Emelie dug through his drawers and tossed him a pair of briefs and a pair of cargo shorts.  
“Ready to head back?”  
“I guess...”  


“One last thing Dan. Now that you have a proper bond with Take you need to be aware that he can clearly feel your love for him, your desire for him, and he will probably be a bit more aggressive in his teasing.”  
“That sounds familiar, I think he mentioned it when first woke up this morning.”  
“Just remember to say no if you want him to stop. Even with the bonds we sometimes send mixed signals.”  
“I'll try to remember that.”  
“That's our good little Dan.”  
“Em!”  
He complained for a moment before bowing his head.  
“Thanks...”  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Roughly an hour after Emelie carried Dan away Takeshi could hear their voices return and looked up from the tablet with the pictures and video clips that he was showing the girls.  
Dan did look a lot less hungover but Takeshi could feel the lingering effect over the bond.  
“Feeling like you could stomach a bit of food?”  
Takeshi patted the seat next to him and after a moment of hesitation Dan sat down.  
“Yeah, I think so.”  
“Would you like some of that semolina porridge of yours?”  
“Please.”  
“I'll make it.”  
Kasumi interrupted before Takeshi had a chance to get up and he quickly sent a wave of deep gratitude to her over the dantai bond.  
Settling back down he watched as Emelie plopped herself down on Dan's other side and began to pick apart the basket of fresh fruits that they had saved for them, cajoling Dan into eating some fruit while waiting.  
What Dan didn't notice though was that as she gave him the pieces of fruit she imbued them with her power, turning them into a rather potent cure for his current state.  
It wasn't a healing effect as such, instead it gave him a significant energy boost, allowing his body to restore itself.  


“Think you could stand talking some business while you eat?”  
“Sure.”  
Dan answered Takeshi's question with his mouth full of watermelon which made Emelie scold him with a laugh.  
“First of all, there is something I would like to ask you to do for me. Now, keep in mind I'm not asking this as your boss, but as a friend asking for a favor.”  
“Okay.”  
“Would you consider creating an identity for Knight that can stand up to scrutiny? I can do it myself if you don't want to, but you are really good at it, and I have a lot of things I need to do to catch up with paperwork.”  
“Sure, I'll set everything up then you and D can wrangle the computers needed.”  
“Excellent.”  
Takeshi didn't mention it, but he intended to give Dan a nice pile of the gold dragons if he did a good job on Knight's new identity.  
“Anything else?”  
“Well, we will be heading to the Sanctuary after this for some introductions and I would like you to come with us for some lessons about bonds.”  


While he spoke Takeshi gently tugged on the fresh bond which made Dan squirm a bit, then blush rather vividly when Takeshi allowed a bit of the feelings that seeing Dan again invoked in him transfer over the bond.  
As Takeshi suspected, Dan's reactions showed that he was clearly unable to fully distinguish between his own emotions and those carried over the bond  
“Yeah, that might be a good idea...”  
It pleased Takeshi greatly that Dan was obviously aware that what he was feeling wasn't entirely his own.  
Once Dan and Emelie were done eating and clearing their dishes they headed to the blackout to collect the planter that housed the Sylph and her daughters before heading to the Sanctuary to allow them to fully attune to the energies of the island.  
They would also introduce Knight to the Mother and see if Minerva wished to placed within the inner sanctum, or stay with Emelie.  


“Come on big guy, this way”  
Knight looked around the Sanctuary, but his reaction was quite moderate, making it clear it wasn't the first time he had seen such a place.  
“We need to wait here.”  
Emelie gently put her hand on Knight's arm to keep him from following Takeshi into the annex with the Soul-tree.  
Together they watched as Takeshi walked up to the tree and placed his hand against the trunk in a soft caress before leaning his forehead against it, silently speaking with the mother.  
_**“My my, you do indeed collect the most interesting creatures around you.”**_  
There was laughter in the bell like voice of the Mother when she finally spoke up.  
_**“A Son of the Borderlands, a Daughter of the Black Forest and her daughters and a creation of Artemis. Come, stand before me.”  
**_At the Mother's invitation they all entered the annex, Knight carrying the planter that housed the Sylphs and Emelie carrying Minerva.  
While the Mother spoke to the newcomers and helped the Sylphs adapt to her energy Takeshi sat down outside with Dan to teach him about control.  


“So, how do we do this?”  
Dan was clearly nervous and the way it made his energy crackle over the bond set Takeshi on edge.  
“I would suggest we start by calming you down a bit.”  
“And how do you plan on accomplishing that? 'Cause I'm pretty damned nervous...”  
“Well, I was thinking about kissing you senseless, but I won't do that while you are having a hard time separating your own emotions from mine.”  
The teasing suggestion had Dan instantly crimson but Takeshi could feel a deep happiness through the fresh bond.  
“How about you come here and let me give you a nice back-rub?”  
“On one condition.”  
“Oh?”  
Takeshi knew that Dan loved a good massage so he was curious about what kind of condition he would demand and the way Dan blushed and stuttered made him even more curious.  
“Dan, take a deep breath, focus, and tell me what your condition is.”  
Dan followed the calm suggestion and after a few deep breaths he spoke up.  
“I still get that kiss.”  
Takeshi was slightly surprised, then he reached out with a soft smile and brushed his fingers against Dan's face.  
“Of course, any time. All you need to do is ask, or simply take one, I won't refuse you.”  
The mix of relief and joy, tinged by desire and love made Takeshi's instincts soar and the feedback through the bond made Dan's eyes widen.  
“That feeling, that is how your feelings makes me feel.”  
“Wow...”  
On a whim Takeshi leaned in and gave Dan a quick, soft, kiss and after a brief moment of hesitation Dan returned the kiss.  
“Easy Dan. As wonderful as you taste, I'm not comfortable to go any further before you have learned to tell my feelings from your own.”  
Dan instantly pulled back and Takeshi couldn't help teasing him a bit about the brilliant blush before suggesting they move on to the lessons.  


“This new bond makes it very easy for me to influence you as you feel my emotions. Especially since you are an empath.”  
“What?”  
“You heard me.”  
“But.. How?”  
“It's something some people are born with. Haven't you noticed that you always seem to be able to read people very well? That have a good sense for when someone is up to something?”  
“Yeah... But I figured it came from working security.”  
“No. It's something you had before. Your line of work has no doubt helped you further refine it though. And it's actually quite common for skilled security people to be empaths.”  
“This really isn't making me any less confused...”  
“I know, I'm sorry. But we need to start at the beginning.”  
Takeshi's apology made Dan sigh, he wasn't a big fan of studying.  
“And where is that?”  
“I need to teach you a bit more about auras and bonds, about feeling them, and seeing them.”  
Dan just nodded with a sigh.  
“But first we need to get you nice and relaxed, not to mention, a bit more naked.”  
Dan huffed slightly and removed his shirt and shorts, but he kept his briefs on.  
When Dan rolled over on his stomach the mossy grass and roots began to rise to form a comfortable massage table, much like how they had when they had fixed his eyes, and before long he was sighing and moaning softly, half asleep under Takeshi's touch.  
“Mmm, your hands are so warm...”  
“Enhanced metabolism, remember?”  
“Mhm.. I remember, dun mean I can't enjoy it...”  
“Indeed.”  


Takeshi had explained to Dan about his somewhat unique physiology shortly after his arrival at the island since Dan had gotten worried when he felt how hot Takeshi's skin would become at times.  
Under normal circumstances Takeshi's core body temperature would run somewhere between 39°C-39,5°C which for a normal person would be a significant fever, roughly 2°C higher than normal.  
And during high physical activity it wasn't uncommon for it to rise above 43°C, which would be a deadly to a normal human, but his enhanced physiology didn't seem bothered at all, something they suspected was a dragon trait.  


Takeshi slowly let his hands slide down Dan's sides and took a steadying breath when he was flooded with desire and Dan arched up slightly so he could reach around him and brush his fingers across the bare chest.  
There was a sharp gasp when clawed fingers brushed over sensitive nipples followed by a few shallow, unsteady, breaths before Dan suddenly pulled away.  
“Please, no more...”  
Takeshi instantly pulled back and placed his hands on Dan's shoulders.  
“Ssh, easy. I won't do anything you don't want me to.”  
Takeshi was struggling a bit to control his emotions, for a brief moment before Dan asked him to stop he had felt a sharp flicker of fear, bordering on panic over the bond, a fear he had never felt from Dan before.  
Fear of him, of his touch, and it unsettled him greatly.  
“I'm sorry if I pushed you too far. I should have minded myself more carefully while the bond is fresh, but your feelings, your reactions, they left me wanting more.”  
“It's okay, Em explained you might get pushier now.”  
“No Dan it's not okay, I scared you, and I never, **ever** , want you to fear me...”  
“It's not your fault, but please, don't make me talk about it now.”  
“Okay, I won't.”  


Dropping the subject Takeshi asked Dan to make himself comfortable so they could move on to the lesson.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Comfortable?”  
Takeshi watched as Dan settled down in the soft grass and leaned his back against one of the gnarled sakura trees.  
“Mhm.”  
“Start by closing your eyes and relaxing. Deep breaths.”  
He waited a bit for Dan's breathing to even out in a calmer pattern  
“Breathe with me, nice and slow. Exhale through your mouth and inhale through the nose.”  
Takeshi waited a moment until he could hear that Dan had exhaled completely before reaching out for the raijū and having it relay the silent instructions letting him instruct Dan while also performing the same breathing exercise himself.  


” _Inhale slowly counting to 4.”  
“2”  
“3”  
“4”  
“And hold to 7.”  
“2”  
“3”  
“4”  
“5”  
“6”  
“7”  
“Exhale slowly to 8.”  
“2”  
“3”  
“4”  
“5”  
“6”  
“7”  
“8”_  


They continued counting breaths for about 5 minutes before Takeshi was satisfied with the calm flow of Dan's aura.  
“I'm going to touch your aura with my own, making it rise, making it easier for you to see.”  
There was a slight rise in Dan's heartbeat as their auras began to intertwine and after a few moments Takeshi could feel Dan's aura responding, reciprocating the exploring touch.  


“That's it, feel how the energy flows. Now open your eyes and tell me what you see.”  
Takeshi carefully instructed Dan, helping him to use his modified eyes to see their energies.  
“You are red, red and gold, like fire. I'm guessing the greenish tones are me?”  
“Yes, your colors are bright greens and yellows, curiosity, playfulness, nature, balance, growth, love and passion, someone who is prone to acting on their thoughts and feelings.”  
Takeshi gently took Dan's hand and brought them closer to better show the contrast between their auras.  
“It's also the colors of a natural healer, someone who relaxes and comforts others. They suit you well.”  
Dan instantly blushed at Takeshi's words.  
“And yours, what do they mean?”  
“Perfectionism, wisdom, willpower, survival oriented, confident and competitive.”  
He paused for a moment before continuing with a teasing grin.  
“Vitality, stamina, passion and sexual energy.”  
Bringing Dan's hand closer he leaned in and kissed them gently, causing an even brighter blush.  
“Yeah, that kinda does sound like you. But I think you forgot _teaser._ ”  
“Perhaps, but it wouldn't really be me unless I teased you a bit, now would it?”  


“What about those wisps of black and gray?”  
Dan quickly changed the direction of the conversation, not quite ready to give an answer to that question.  
“Distrust, lingering grief, an unforgiving nature. Some of it is from me, but some of it is also demonic power, the power of the demons I carry within. Specifically shadow power.”  
Dan nodded his understanding and Takeshi could feel a simmer of sympathy and comfort over the bond, a reaction to his mention of lingering grief and he allowed gratitude to flood back over the bond which made Dan's eyes widen for a moment.  


Takeshi quickly let the matter drop and continued the lesson.  
“Now look at these threads of power that reach out from our auras, these are representations of the bonds we have formed with others.”  
“Why are some of them glowing, alive, while others seem to be, I don't know, powerless, _mundane_?”  
“Good catch, you have good instincts hidden away there.”  
Takeshi praised Dan's observation and gave a quick tap over his heart with a clawed finger.  
“The ones that seem alive, glowing, are the ones that carry power. This one for instance, you can see how my reds are twined with an electric blue that has power flowing through it.”  
Dan just nodded for him to continue.  
“It's my bond with Kasumi, her colors are blue and they carry the lightning of Arashi, but also the darkness of Kuragari, if you look closely you can see dark edges along the lightning.”  
“That one, the purple one with silver edges, that's Emelie, right? It feels like her somehow.”  
Dan reached out toward it but didn't touch the flowing energy and Takeshi nodded.  
“This one, it's hard to tell it apart from you, this is Knight isn't it? And this one, like green fire, that has to be Eriko, her foxfire. And this other green one, Melissa?”  
“That's right. I told you you would be a natural at this.”  
The blush brought on by the praise made Takeshi grin even wider.  


“What about these? There's power in them, but they don't feel familiar...”  
Dan's voice turned hesitant and Takeshi could tell he was doubting himself, his abilities.  
“It's Sarisha and our children. You haven't met them so it's quite natural that you don't recognize them.”  
Dan nodded quietly, picking up on Takeshi's pain at the mention of Sarisha and their children.  
“And these that feel dull, powerless, these are the other girls right? And Matthews.”  
Much to Takeshi's relief Dan hurried on to the next question.  
“That's right, if you look closely you can see that these two are stronger, more tightly woven together, they are the twins. You should keep an eye on them for practice, they should begin to show a flow of energy soon.”  
Takeshi indicated toward the two strands that tied him with the twins and once again Dan reached out slightly, then hesitated.  
“It's okay, you can touch them. Here, like this, let your energy flow to your hands.”  
Encouraged by Dan's obvious curiosity, Takeshi showed him how he could touch and feel the connections.  
“Just keep in mind that it's very rude to touch them without permission, and that if you were to pull too hard on a bond it could break, especially those without power flowing through them.”  


Takeshi allowed him to explore the strands of energy for a while before speaking up again.  
“There is one more thing I would like you to try, but for this I need your raijū to back off a bit, and make sure it doesn't transmit your thoughts.”  
Once the raijū had confirmed it would not do anything Takeshi continued.  
“I want you to focus on an emotion that can't easily be translated to words, the stronger the better and just focus on it. Feel it travel the bond.”  
Takeshi used the strong emotional conduit to find the trace of the Blessing that remained within Dan and reaching out with his own Blessing he gave it a gentle tug.  
At first there was nothing, then Takeshi found himself actually blushing slightly.  
_“Okay, maybe you should pick something slightly less private next time. But it transmitted clearly enough.”  
“Wow, wait, was that? Is this?”  
“Yes, it is. There is enough of the Blessing left within you to allow you to communicate without the raijū helping you.”  
“Em is gonna be grumpy, isn't she?”  
“A bit envious for sure, but I think she will be more than happy to teach you how to use it to torment me.”  
_Dan looked at him with a rather strange expression before suddenly blurting out what was on his mind with a tone of disbelief.  


“Damn, I actually made you blush!”  
“What? Let me see!”  
Emelie and Knight had returned with perfect timing, or not so perfect, depending on who you asked and Emelie instantly jumped into Takeshi's lap to confirm Dan's statement.  
“Damn, what did you do to manage that? Come on, let me in on the secret!”  
Emelie pulled Dan aside to question him on what had happened and Takeshi gave a sigh of relief when she couldn't get a straight answer out of him.  
“She does have a point you know. You are not the type to blush easily.”  
Knight prodded with a teasing tone that held more than a little glee in it.  
“Let's just say he has sides of himself hidden away in there that would make an incubus green with envy, if it ever stopped blushing long enough to be anything than crimson...”  
Knight laughed at the muttered response.  
“In other words he will fit in just fine with the rest of us.”  
The only answer he got was a groan.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Where is the sylph?”  
Takeshi noticed that Knight was not carrying the planter and he couldn't feel the presence of her power.  
“ _Aellai_ asked that she be allowed to stay in the annex until her daughters have adapted to the energies of this place, the Mother agreed so I told her it was okay.”  
Takeshi just nodded his agreement, it was still a bit unsettling how well Knight took to acting the role of _Beta_ despite being an obvious _Alpha_ type, and how well he himself accepted him in that role.  
“So that's her name then, Aellai. I was wondering if she would ever let us know.”  
“It suits her well, _whirlwind_.”  
“Heh, indeed. It's how she first greeted me you know. But, she still fears me from back then, she was putting the twins at risk and scaring them so I shattered her winds, I probably used quite a bit more force than needed.”  
“Don't worry, sylphs are resilient creatures, she will get over it and I'm sure she and her daughters will simply _adore_ you.”  
The teasing quip rewarded Knight with another groan and a half-hearted punch on the arm, the last thing Takeshi needed was a swarm of love-struck sylphs, regardless of how cute and adorable the tiny things might be.  


“Okay Em, enough harassing Dan, let's head back and see if there is any food planned anytime soon.”  
Takeshi called out and he could feel relief through the new bond as Emelie turned away from the cornered Dan and set her focus on him and Knight instead.  
Sometimes Takeshi felt like a kindergarten teacher, while his companions were highly capable if things got serious they had a tendency to be rather childish and whimsical whenever things were relaxed.  
He couldn't really fault them for it though, he was very much the same himself, he just wished they wouldn't try to drag him into every harebrained antic of theirs.  
He nailed Emelie with a sharp look and bared his fangs at her which fortunately worked and she pounced at Knight instead.  


“Is it just me or has Em changed quite a bit while you were away? She seems more confident, and carefree.”  
Dan's question made Takeshi sigh as they watched Knight and Emelie argue about who made the better sandwiches of all things.  
“I think you will find that we both changed quite a bit during our trip.”  
“Any chance you guys will actually tell me what happened?”  
“We will, tonight if you think you can pull an all-nighter.”  
The deep sigh told Takeshi that Dan was not feeling up to a late night but he had a feeling he would probably try anyway out of curiosity.  
“Ready to get out of here?”  
“Mhm, but aren't you forgetting something?”  
“Oh? Am I?”  
Takeshi had intentionally skipped over the promised kiss to see if Dan would actually step up and demand it.  
“My kiss.”  
Dan's huff revealed that he knew Takeshi was teasing him.  
“If you want it, you'll have to come get it.”  
Takeshi leaned back and beckoned with a teasing smile and when Dan moved closer and straddled him he could feel his own pulse rise in anticipation.  
He did have to divert a bit of his attention to keeping his instincts under control as he allowed Dan to claim a rather dominant position.  
Maintaining eye contact he patiently waited for Dan to initiate the promised kiss, he did intend to kiss him senseless after getting a good taste of him though.  


“I love you...”  
The soft words as Dan initiated the kiss made Takeshi's heart do a double beat and a moment later he found himself almost overwhelmed by the taste of the kiss.  
_“You taste divine, my precious, gorgeous, Dan.”_  
Answering the kiss Takeshi kept it soft at first, savoring the flavor before slowly deepening it, wrapping his hand into Dan's unruly hair and pulling him closer.  
As the kiss went from soft to hungry Takeshi could feel the familiar heat coiling deep within and spreading to his groin, and it was quite clear that Dan was in a similar condition.  
_“It's okay, you can let go. Just feel, and let the bond carry you. Feel me and let me feel you, give in to it and trust me.”_  
Takeshi opened up the bond and gently urged Dan to give in to the sensations they shared, and once he did it didn't take long for both of them to reach their end and fall into the abyss.  


“Wow... From just a kiss...”  
Dan's soft gasp and mumbled words made Takeshi smile and pull him against his chest, trailing soft kisses along his neck.  
“Do you understand now?”  
The quiet question made Dan look at him and smile his usual frustrated half-smile.  
“A little. But as usual you drag me into completely bat-shit crazy crap that no sane person would understand.”  
”Dan, language...”  
Takeshi's habitual light scolding made Dan huff at him.  
“Oh, stuff it!”  
With the tender moment broken Dan got up while grumbling about needing a shower and a change of clothes, and accusing Takeshi of being the one responsible for that particular predicament.  
Takeshi didn't deny it, though he did counter by accusing Dan of being guilty of causing the same predicament for him.  
“How about we head back and stuff you in my shower instead?”  
The teasing quip made Dan blush brightly and voice a rather undignified squeak, but he didn't offer any resistance when Takeshi nudged him toward the entrance of the Sanctuary.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Come on Dan, no need to be shy.”  
Takeshi gently nudged Dan toward the hidden staircase that would bring them up to the 3rd floor that housed the master suite.  
There was a slight resistance, then a sigh as Dan surrendered and let himself be guided upstairs and into the extravagant bathroom.  
“Come on slowpoke, if you don't strip out of those clothes I'll be forced to give you a hand.”  
The teasing tone combined with Takeshi flexing his claws had Dan out of his clothes in record time while Takeshi took his sweet time, giving Dan a show, and some time to calm down.  
“You are allowed to touch if you want to.”  
Takeshi teased softly when he picked up on Dan's obvious curiosity and as an extra level of invitation he allowed the true form of his tattoo to surface.  
“Just remember to try to suppress the bond if you don't want me to jump your bones.”  
Dan instantly blushed bright red, but Takeshi could feel the bond dim slightly as Dan reached out for him and the touch, though hesitant, felt really good.  
“Dan, may I?”  
Takeshi raised his hands but didn't touch, mindful of how Dan had reacted last time he had tried to touch him in a sexual way.  
The soft nod and sense of anticipation was encouraging though and Takeshi gently placed his hands on Dan's shoulders and after a moment he began to gently let his hands roam.  


“You are even hotter now than when I left.”  
“Tease...”  
When Takeshi gently brushed his fingers across the exposed nipples Dan sucked in a sharp breath and quickly moved behind him and started to trace his hands over the tattoo.  
“I do believe the pot is calling the kettle black.”  
Takeshi grumbled as the feeling of Dan touching the true form of his tattoo quickly pushed him to the edge.  
When Dan leaned in and licked the edge of the scales Takeshi lost control for a moment and spun around, pinning Dan against the wall, but when he moved in to claim a kiss he felt the sharp spike of fear over the bond again.  
The unpleasant sensation of Dan's fear instantly had him flaccid and pulling back slightly.  


“Dan, please. Why are you afraid of me?”  
“It's not you... It's...”  
Dan looked away and went silent.  
“My precious Dan, please talk to me.”  
“I can't. Please don't ask me to.”  
“It's okay, you don't need to tell me anything you're not comfortable with. But do you think you could handle giving me a clue about how to avoid triggering whatever this is?”  
Takeshi patiently waited for Dan to consider the request and after a while he nodded softly.  
“Sexual dominance triggers it.”  
“Thank you.”  
Takeshi gently brushed his fingers against Dan's face before shifting their position so that he was against the wall instead.  
“Come here.”  
Takeshi invited Dan to be the one on top so to speak and it did seem to help as kisses and teasing touches soon brought them back to the edge, and this time Dan didn't need to be encouraged to give in and fall over into the abyss.  


By the time they managed to make it back to the others food was already being served and they were met by quite a bit of teasing, but Takeshi only felt contentment and joy.  
Joy that Dan so eagerly accepted being close despite knowing that his love wasn't reciprocated.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Confessions_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Julia, how about you show me how far you have gotten with your reading and writing?”  
Takeshi was hoping to get Julia to help Knight improve his reading and writing.  
“Okay!”  
She quickly fetched her tab that she used for her studies and brought up the data on her reading and writing.  
“This is really good. You have done great.”  
She instantly lit up like a sun at the praise.  
“Now, Julia, there's something I would like to ask you to help me with.”  
“What is it?”  
“Our new friend here isn't very good at reading and writing, and he's never gone to school so I would be really happy if you would consider helping him improve.”  
“But I'm still not very good...”  
“I know you're not at the average level for your age yet, but you have improved really fast and I think that working with the big guy might help both of you improve. It will give you yet another way of working on it.”  
“Okay.”  
After Takeshi explained Julia instantly agreed to help teach Knight.  


“So, how have the rest of you done with your lessons?”  
Everyone eagerly brought out their tabs and showed Takeshi and Emelie what they had been studying during the past year.  
Going through the information Takeshi and Emelie offered a mix of praise, constructive criticism, and gentle scoldings depending on their performance.  
After going through the girls progress with their lessons attention quickly shifted to all of them telling each other bits and pieces of what they had been up to during their time apart.  


“Take, can we go catch some octopus for dinner?”  
“Of course we can sweetie.”  
Anne's request for her favorite treat had them all moving down to the lagoon where everyone helped catch and collect the bounty of the sea.  
While they worked Knight quickly picked up on Melissa's lingering crush on Takeshi and teased him mercilessly for it, poking at him until he turned and pounced with a snarl.  
The work instantly halted in favor of watching as Takeshi was giving Knight a lesson in modern martial arts and a reminder of just how much his looks belied his strength as well as a reminder that he was pure _Alpha_.  
Eriko, Emelie and the twins were the only ones not to stare wide eyed at the sudden fight, it was obvious that it was not just one of the mock fights that they were used to.  
“Why are they fighting?”  
“Don't worry Amy, it's a _Pack_ thing, it's common among demons, especially those of us who live in groups. Someone has to lead, and someone has to follow. Those two are both leaders, and it's tough to accept becoming one who follows.”  
Eriko calmly explained that sometimes alphas would fight, that was just how things were.  


“But, you and Take never fought like this! They are really hurting each other.”  
Melissa was obviously concerned, and confused.  
Her own instincts as a Blessed told her it was okay, but at the same time her human sensibilities told her it was very wrong, that they were trying to harm each other.  
“It's because they are both males while I am female. A _Pack_ has two leaders, a male and a female. In most species the male _Alpha_ is the dominant one and the female is just below him, but above the male second, the _Beta._ Though if the female is Lilim and the male is not, the female will usually be the dominant one, Takeshi and Emelie are unusual in that way.”  


Eriko began to explain _Pack_ -dynamics while keeping an eye on Takeshi and Knight, as an _Alpha_ by her own right it was her duty to oversee a _Challenge,_ though, she could tell the current fight wasn't a real challenge, Knight wasn't actually after taking Takeshi's position.  
A duty she shared with Emelie, but Emelie was an _Alpha_ of the _Pack_ involved so she would also keep an eye so the challenge didn't get out of hand, ideally no one was seriously hurt or killed during these challenges, and Emelie had the right to declare a winner if the combatants themselves wouldn't yield.  


“Since I'm female and my species is also male dominated my fights with Takeshi has not been about who should lead, it's more of a test, to see if he's strong enough to be above me, and since I'm not part of his _Pack_ I would simply walk away and refuse to obey him should he prove to be weaker than me.”  
They watched as a vicious kick sent Takeshi flying into a tree and a split second later his arms were pinned under Knights bulk, but a flare of raw power forced the larger male to take a step back and Takeshi immediately pounced, twisted them around and locked Knight between him and the tree, using his weight and aura to keep him down before sharp fangs clamped down over his throat and as they drew blood Knights aura flared and then nearly vanished in submission.  
The moment Knights aura submitted Takeshi released the pressure over his throat and began to clean, and heal, the wounds he had caused, moments later Emelie joined them and helped them heal each other.  


“In a _Pack_ , actions often carry more weight, more meaning, than words. By healing him they let him know that his submission has been accepted, that he is still part of the _Pack_. And by allowing him to help take care of Takeshi they let him know there are no hard feelings, that he still has their trust, that he has not lost his position with them. Which is strange in itself.”  
Eriko calmly explained to their audience, but before she could explain what she found strange Dan cut her of.  


“It's strange cause he's not actually _Pack_ , right? The bond is strong, but it feels different then the bond between Take and Em.”  
“That's right, he's not _Pack_. Normally an outsider would be killed for challenging an _Alpha_ , but they treat him like a _Beta_ despite not being _Pack_.”  
“That's because I'm sworn to them for now, until that oath is fulfilled I will act as _Beta_ , but I'm not yet prepared to fully surrender to that role beyond my oath.”  
Knight spoke up, still resting against the tree with Emelie and Takeshi looking over his wounds, the fact that Takeshi had claws and made liberal use of them in a fight combined with the burning, almost acidic nature of the power he had infused them with had left Knight with quite a few cuts that did not heal easily on their own.  


“ _Itte te te...”  
_A hiss of pain from Takeshi when he tried to shift Knight to take a look at his back had Emelie scolding both of them.  
“If you don't stop squirming around long enough for those broken ribs to set I swear I will knock you out cold!”  
Knight instantly stilled and his aura settled into a submissive pattern, it was more natural for him to submit to Emelie because of her status as Lilim than it was to submit to Takeshi with whom he compared himself purely on power.  
Takeshi however bared his fangs against her, still struggling with the residual high of the fight and the powerful instincts that had been stirred.  
“Both of you!”  
She snapped at Takeshi and flared her wings and aura, demanding obedience and a few moments later Takeshi relented to the worry he could feel in her aura and allowed her to check on his ribs without to much fuss.  
The sight of the tiny slip of a woman subduing both the large males had the others snickering and grinning.  
While Emelie checked on Takeshi, Knight assured the worried girls that their injuries looked much worse than they were.  


 

 

 


	3. Heat

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Heat_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


After the evening meal they retreated to the shielded section of the garden so that they could speak without being overheard, Takeshi and Emelie didn't want the girls to hear the true scope of what had happened while they were away, especially not how close to death Takeshi had actually been.  
Dan watched with hesitation as they made themselves comfortable on the pile of pillows, shifting, poking and prodding each other trying to find a position where they were comfortable while still having physical contact with the others and he was just about to have a seat in one of the recliners when Knight shifted slightly and patted the empty area between him and Takeshi.  
“What are you hiding away over there for? We don't bite, unless you want us to.”  
Dan blushed at the implications of Knight's words but he slowly crawled into the indicated spot.  


The blush grew darker as both Knight and Takeshi began to shuffle around, shifting him between them until he found himself curled up to Knights side, resting his head on the giant's shoulder, he could feel Takeshi pressed against his back and his arm draped across his waist.  
Emelie was curled on top of Knight, her wing draped over him and Takeshi while Knight's arm kept her from falling, and her tail wrapped tightly around the wrist of the arm that Takeshi had draped over him.  
“Comfortable?”  
Takeshi's soft whisper sent a shiver down Dan's spine, but he had to agree that he was actually very comfortable.  
“Yeah, very.”  
“Good.”  
Dan froze slightly when Takeshi's hand slid along his hip and clawed finger splayed across his stomach, gently pricking his skin.  
“Take?”  
There was no answer though, just a sense of contentment over the bond and a slight tightening of the hold and after a while Dan relaxed into the hold.  
Once comfortable they settled down into a relaxed conversation, and Dan had reluctantly agreed that perhaps he was a bit too tired to go into the important things so he would settle for the bits and pieces they offered, laughs, embarrassments and promises of a tour of the foods they had sampled along the way.  
He was delighted to hear that they had ordered a large amount of the specialties from his native northern regions of Sweden, including cloudberries, wild mushrooms and reindeer that had been cured, smoked and dried.  
“Can I have some of the _hjortron_ to make some... What's it called? _Likör_?”  
“It's liqueur in English.”  
“Ah, thanks Em.”  
Dan nodded and thanked her for giving him the word he was missing.  
“Of course you can. It can hardly make that concoction of yours any worse.”  
“Hey!”  
Takeshi's teasing dig at Dan's home brew triggered another round of good natured bickering that had Emelie shaking her head at them.  


“I really hope you bought some _surströmming_ too.”  
Takeshi blanched at Dan's question about _Surströmming,_ while he was sure the fermented fish was probably more than palatable when properly served his enhanced sense of smell had been unable to handle the smell when they had opened a tin right under his nose without warning.  
“Don't worry Dan, I made sure to add plenty to the list of items. Both _Röda Ulven_ and a few local artisan versions.”  
Emelie whispered an assurance that she had added it to the list without asking Takeshi.  
“Awesome! Any idea when it will be arriving?”  
“The main containers should already be in Honolulu, it's just a matter of getting it reloaded to skycrane containers and having it delivered.”  


Almost all goods were delivered to the island via skycrane since Takeshi didn't want heavy ships entering the lagoon, and the construction of the dock on what they considered the back of the island had just started.  
Though, even when completed it would not be the best way to handle the day to day deliveries due to the difficulty of transporting items from there to the house.  
The skycrane deposited the containers on a cargo landing-pad near the house and the powerful elevator hidden beneath it would bring the entire container down into the sub levels to be unloaded into their massive storage facility.  


“So a week or so?”  
Dan did a quick estimate based on how long deliveries usually took.  
“Something like that. But don't worry, I brought a few cans in the Blackout.”  
“Have I ever told you you're the best?”  
“I think you have mentioned something like that before.”  
The slightly teasing exchange made Takeshi smile and give both of them a soft kiss, the fact that all he could reach was the tip of Emelie's tail didn't discourage him in the least, which instantly had them surrounded by the telltale peppermint.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Heat_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Dan was almost asleep when he felt Emelie shimmy across him and shift Takeshi away from him and for a moment he was overcome with an irrational fear of being abandoned, rejected.  
A moment later he could feel Knight shift him slightly, pulling him close against his chest.  
“She needs to feed, they will rejoin us when she is sated. Trust the bond.”  
Dan knew of course that Emelie needed sex like he needed food, he knew his sudden fear was irrational, but that didn't stop him from feeling it.  
The whispered words made him relax though and he slowly leaned into the solid warmth that reminded him so much of Takeshi only to turn rigid when he felt a breath brush against his ear.  


“You should watch them, open your senses, open the bond and feel them. I think you would find the experience _very_ interesting.”  
The breath was replaced by kisses, teasing, tickling with a softness that contradicted the power and near roughness of the arm that pulled him close.  
When the familiar fear spiked and made him squirm slightly the grip softened and the kisses instantly stopped as Knight's low voice assured him that he wouldn't do anything he didn't agree to, all while offering, almost begging for a release they both needed.  
Dan expected it to feel wrong, like betrayal, like being used, like he was using the other man simply for feeling so similar to Takeshi but the feeling of wrongness never came.  
Instead he could feel a weave of power, of reassurance flowing from Takeshi through the bond and somehow he knew, he knew that Takeshi had woven something similar to _command_ over him, but not to make him do something he didn't want to, instead it was there to assure he didn't do something he wasn't comfortable with.  


“You know, I envy how much he cares for you, both of you. How willing he is to give of himself to protect, to ensure your comfort, safety and happiness.”  
Knight whispered against Dan's ear and it felt good, frighteningly so.  
“You too, huh?”  
Knight knew what he was asking and decided to give him the full truth.  
“In a way, but not like you do, I desire them, both of them, but I don't love them, at least not in the way you mean.”  
Knight teased Dan, mirroring the touches of the couple before them and could feel him relax and give in to the sensation.  
“But as things are now I am unable to act on it. For me to approach her would be seen as a challenge of his position. Takeshi and I are both highly dominant so any intimacies between us would start with a fight to determine who would be the one to claim, and who would surrender to being claimed.”  


Knight could feel Dan's breath hitch as the feedback from Takeshi's emotions flowed through the bond.  
“The only way would be if she acted as a bridge between us, allowing us to share, to both assume a dominant position without actually engaging each other, but she is not ready for something like that.”  
“Damn! Makes me wish I was a woman.”  
The half hiss, half groan made Knight pause for a moment and lean in, partially pinning Dan beneath him, and as before he picked up on the slight rise of fear which made him pull back slightly.  
Once he felt the fear abate he leaned in and continued to gently tease Dan and ask the question on his mind.  
“You would offer yourself to us, be our bridge, unite our fires?”  
“ _Yes!_ ”  


Knight groaned when he felt Dan's intense emotional and physical release radiate through his aura as he hissed out his answer and then instantly went limp, passed out from the sensory overload, leaving Knight painfully unfulfilled.  
At the same time he could feel chaos echo from Emelie and Takeshi.  
Completely unprepared for the intense feedback from Dan Takeshi had lost himself for a moment, flooding Emelie's senses with his unrestrained aura and his new power-level had completely overwhelmed her, causing her to shut down to protect herself.  
Takeshi was near frantic as he checked on her and after a few moments he relaxed somewhat when he found she was just in a deep sleep.  
Picking her up he carefully placed her next to Dan and was relieved when she instantly curled into the warm body next to her and he seemed to feel her presence as well as he shifted slightly and draped his arm over her.  


“What in the world did you do to him to cause that kind of reaction?”  
Takeshi's voice was heavy with residual emotion, but the curiosity was clear in it, as was the taint of concern as he began to question Knight about what had happened.  
“Nothing, really. A bit of teasing, a bit of talking. I think he pretty much did it to himself.”  
Takeshi didn't voice his request for him to clarify just what they had been talking about, but the question and curiosity was clear in the slight tilt of his head and rise of an eyebrow.  
Knight just shook his head, he was not ready to talk about it, if Takeshi or Emelie had overheard him while he spoke of it with Dan he wouldn't have cared, but not like this.  
Takeshi just gave him a slight nod, he wouldn't press the issue any further, instead he rose from the pillows, intent to head for the kitchen to find something to recover a bit of the energy he had just spent.  


As he walked past Knight he put his hand on his shoulder and allowed some of his power to flow through the touch, the gesture had become so deeply ingrained that he didn't realize he had done it until he heard a low keening sound that sounded completely alien.  
Turning toward the sound he froze at the surreal sight, Knight's head was actually turned to the side and tilted back slightly, completely baring the sensitive throat and for a brief moment everything about him was completely submissive before he seemed to snap out of it and looked up with a dazed expression.  


“That bad, huh?”  
It took a few moments for Knight to realize what had just happened, for a moment he had been overcome by such a strong need that he had instinctively submitted just for a glimmer of a chance to sate it.  
With a groan he realized the implications of it.  
“Worse.”  
His answer was little more than a hoarse whisper and Takeshi seemed to understand that he needed more time as he only gave a slight squeeze of his shoulder before letting go and returned to his hunt for food.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Heat_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


When Takeshi returned with a selection of snacks he simply sat down and offered Knight a tray piled high with his favorites and watched in silence as he picked at them without eating much.  
“So, feel like telling me what has you so rattled? I have a feeling it's more than just a bad case of blue balls.”  
“Honestly, no. But I have little choice since it will affect the safety of your pack, of the ones living here and my oath prevents me from just leaving without your expressed permission, and to receive that I must fully inform you of what is happening.”  
With a deep sigh he steeled himself to tell Takeshi of what he considered to be his greatest weakness, and his greatest shame.  


“Most of the time my mixed blood gives nothing but benefits, I'm stronger, faster, I heal and age like a demon and I have their stamina, their enhanced senses and instincts. I possess demonic energy, what you call _youki_ , as well as well as human energy, _reiki,_ and I can blend them into the more powerful _Prana_ , raw power in its most basic form. _”  
_Taking a few deep breaths to try to keep the tremble out of his voice he continued.  
“However, I suffer one major drawback. I have inherited the reproductive cycle of one of my demonic ancestors. About once every century I go into an intense demonic heat. During this heat I lose all control and will do anything to sate the lust.”  
The waves of shame, loathing and revulsion that poured from Knight told Takeshi just how bad the loss of control was and gave him an inkling as to what kind of acts had been committed, or at least could be committed under the influence of the heat.  


“Most demon cultures enforce extremely harsh punishments for rape, but there is one circumstance where the perpetrator may face little or no repercussions, and that is if it happened during their heat.”  
Knight's words confirmed Takeshi's suspicion.  
“Of course that doesn't mean a demon can just ignore their heat and run amok, it's only considered excusable if they have done everything in their power to prevent it, for instance by isolating or sealing themselves, but failed.”  
Takeshi just nodded his understanding and waited for Knight to gather himself and continue.  


“Normally I would seek out a demonic partner, preferably one who is also going through the heat and we would go into seclusion and ride it out. But normally I would know months ahead that it's coming, but it's here, now, I can feel it pulling at my control, one day, maybe two before I lose it completely. And this heat is much stronger than before, probably due to my extended imprisonment.”  


Looking up at Takeshi with a desperate look he pleaded for him to ensure the safety of the others.  
“You must seal me away until the heat has ended, Glenys can help you create a seal I won't be able to break until it's over.”  
“How long does the heat last?”  
The lack of judgment in Takeshi's voice made Knight sigh with relief, he had seen it in his eyes that he had understood the implications of his words and still he did not resent him for it.  


“A normal heat will last a month, maybe two if left unsated, since this one feels stronger it might last longer. I have heard of cases where it has lasted as long as a year.”  
“And how long will it last if sated?”  
“A few days, no more than a week unless it's a mated pair trying to breed, then it would last until conception. Bonded mates sometimes have longer cycles due to triggering each other.”  
Takeshi nodded and there was a moment of silence as he considered Knight's words.  
“How severe are the consequences if you deny the heat and have yourself sealed instead of sating it?”  
“Pain beyond what most can comprehend. A pain that would have you clawing your own throat out in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the extremely potent survival instincts it triggers. I don't think I am strong enough for it to be dangerous though.”  
“It's more dangerous if you are strong?”  
Takeshi was curious about it, but he didn't want to push too much or make knight uncomfortable, or well, more uncomfortable than he already was.  


“Yes, a powerful demon is usually better at overriding their instincts, it happens every few cycles that someone strong is unable, or unwilling, to sate their heat and end up being able to overcome the instincts and kill themselves to get away from the pain. It's usually older demons that lost their mate and can't or won't take another partner.”  
Knight was glad that Takeshi somehow kept his voice, even his entire aura and stance neutral, clinical, professional somehow, it made it easier for him to talk about it and he had a feeling Takeshi understood that.  
He watched as Takeshi lowered himself to the floor in one smooth motion, he recalled that Emelie had called it _seiza_ , and that it was part of the culture Takeshi had grown up in.  
Knight watched as he pulled his blades, still in their scabbards and tucked them into the belt he always had tied around his waist, once secured he placed his hands on the hilts and Knight could feel his energies settling into a meditative state, no doubt to weigh his options and decide what to do.  


“I guess we need to try to find a way to sate this heat of yours then.”  
Knight startled slightly when Takeshi finally spoke, and cursed how the heat was messing with his senses.  
“I don't think you realize just how out of control I will get, even if I have a willing partner it will be rough, there is a reason why I always seek out a demon partner, or have myself sealed away. Even with a demon partner it usually takes a few days to recover and heal.”  
Knight's aura flared with the desperate need to make Takeshi understand just how bad it was.  
“The fox could withstand it, but despite her teasing I can feel her loyalty to Matthews, I couldn't ask it of her. Your name sister, while strong, does not have the regenerative power needed to withstand it. Shirai Lilim is out of the question, she is too young, too inexperienced, and she has not been formally accepted as Lilim so she does not have her full power.”  


His shoulders slumped slightly, he did **not** look forward to the suffering of an unfulfilled heat, especially since it would probably be an unusually long and painful one, but he refused to risk hurting someone.  
He was confused though, Takeshi didn't seem concerned, instead he had this odd teasing smirk on his face.  
“It's obvious that this heat of yours can make do things you would normally not even consider.”  
The grin turned sly as he continued.  
“Tell me, would this include forcing your normally dominant nature to assume a submissive role for the duration of the heat if that meant getting the lust sated?”  
The words made Knight pause, was Takeshi really saying what he thought he was, offering what it sounded like?  
“Yes, as you witnessed a while ago it can override my normal nature if there is a potential partner who is also a dominant nature but equal strength or stronger. If the other is about equal and also under the influence of the heat it would usually lead to a fight to determine who is dominant for the duration, but against someone stronger, or not in heat, it will trigger submission to ensure a favorable outcome.”  
Knight could feel his face burn as he confirmed Takeshi's suspicion, while he was far from bashful it was still hard to admit such a thing.  


“Are you..?”  
Knight found himself unable to fully voice his question, unsure if he had interpreted Takeshi's questions correctly, unsure if he was really offering to be the one to help him through the heat, but he found he didn't need to voice them as he was met by a knowing smile when he looked up.  
“Yeah, I am. I may be somewhat less experienced with males than with females, but it wouldn't be my first time with a male lover and I will be quite capable of doing what needs to be done if you agree and accept my offer.”  
“I have no doubt you are more than capable, but are you sure you want to?”  
Knight found himself struggling against his heat just to voice his concerns and it seemed that Takeshi noticed that it was bothering him.  
“Don't worry, I'm fine with it, I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. You must have noticed that I find you attractive. And I can sense your attraction as well, and I do understand why we can't act on it under normal circumstances.”  
There was a sigh of relief as the reassurance caused his heat to fade slightly, he hated how it was almost sentient, as if it was possessing him.  


“Can you hold on until tomorrow so we can tell the others that we will be leaving for a few days?”  
“I think so, knowing that I will be able to find relief helps keeping it under control.”  
“I'll leave it up to you how much you want to tell them about why we are leaving, though, I would prefer to at least tell Em and Dan what is really going on.”  
Knight just nodded before leaning back and trying to find some semblance of rest.  
Takeshi watched for a while as Knight tossed and turned before he walked over and sat down next to him, he could feel the conflict in Knight's aura as the heat moved him, making him curl up as close as he could before finally falling asleep.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Heat_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Knight woke up with a groan, the heat was pulling at him forcefully and he could feel himself shifting focus toward Emelie, the influence of the heat seeking an outlet and for a brief moment he panicked.  
He was just about to try to call out, to warn her when he felt Takeshi's hand heavily on his shoulder, pushing him back down while his aura washed over him, demanding obedience.  
With a sigh of relief he whispered his gratitude.  


“Are you okay for a bit longer, or should we leave right away?”  
Takeshi asked in a low voice so that the other would not wake in case Knight felt they needed to leave.  
“Just don't let up the pressure from your aura and I should be fine. If my aura tries to reach out for anyone but you, you need to cut it off, smother it. Use whatever force you need to, just don't let me hurt anyone.”  
“Don't worry, I won't. But that includes you as well.”  
A quick flare of energy alerted Emelie that it was time to wake up and she instantly pounced Dan to wake him as well, resulting in a minor scuffle before he realized what was happening.  
When they turned toward Takeshi and Knight they both froze at what they were seeing, Takeshi was standing behind a kneeling Knight, hands heavy on shoulders that were slumping slightly as Knight's head bowed down under the massive force of Takeshi's aura.  
“What's wrong?”  
Emelie quickly began to move toward them but jumped back when Takeshi snarled at her in warning.  


“Stay back and listen please.”  
Takeshi focused on keeping Knight under control so that he could explain to Emelie and Dan, and while Knight spoke he also pulled on the bond with Kasumi and asked her to round up the others, as well as have suitable bedding and food brought to the Sanctuary.  
Knight had agreed that the Sanctuary was probably the best choice for them to retire to during his heat as it was heavily shielded from spiritual energies and the mirror annex could be sealed to keep them locked up.  


“This is something I would rather not have had to speak of, but with my oath I have no choice.”  
Emelie and Dan instantly settled down and focused on listening to what Knight had to say.  
“My mixed blood gives me strength and power, but it also gives me a great weakness, I suffer demonic heat.”  
“Heat? Like when an animal goes into rut?”  
Dan's question carried a mix of honest curiosity and the sharp edge of duty, he needed to know to do his job of protecting the denizens of the island, and it helped soothe Knight.  
“Yes Dan. My heat is very intense, I lose all control of myself and will seek out one or more partners to satisfy the lust.”  
Dan looked at him for a moment, then his eyes went wide in understanding.  
“You can't control yourself so you are unable to make sure those partners are willing? Unable to ensure you don't hurt them?”  
“Not just that, I'm simply beyond caring if they are.”  
Dan nodded slowly.  
“Don't worry, Take will find a way to make sure no one gets hurt.”  
Dan's absolute confidence that Takeshi would not let anyone get hurt made Knight smile and nod before continuing his explanation.  
“Normally I would know at least a month ahead that my heat is approaching, but for some reason there were no warnings this time.”  
“Dude, you've been locked away for a millennium, no one can blame you for being a bit out of whack after something like that."  
Knight took a deep breath to try to calm himself a bit.  
“Thank you Dan.”  
Dan just nodded before turning to Takeshi.  


“Got a plan?”  
“Of course.”  
“Well, gonna share with the class?”  
Dan's slight impatience made Takeshi tut at him and Dan frowned in return, earning him a laugh and an answer.  
“I will take him with me to the Sanctuary and seal the two of us into the mirror annex and screw his brains out.”  
The somewhat crude choice of words made both Dan and Emelie snort at Takeshi before Dan turned to Knight.  
“But, I thought you couldn't..?”  
His words trailed off, unsure if Knight was okay with him revealing their conversation the previous night.  
“Under normal circumstances we can't, but my heat will make me submit without a fight.”  
Knight continued to explain what his heat entailed, and what he could expect, while also assuring Dan and Emelie that he was not unwilling to surrender himself to Takeshi, to be the one to be to be taken.  
“It's only a matter of instinct, or dominance, not a matter of desire, or lack thereof.”  


“Damn, you guys never do things the easy way, much less a normal way, do you?”  
Dan asked with a shake of his head, still trying to grasp the latest bombshell to drop in his lap.  
“Of course not, what would be the fun in that?”  
Takeshi's voice carried the usual teasing tone, but his aura didn't reflect it as he was focused on keeping Knight down.  
“Let's go eat and have a few words with the others, the sooner we get to the Sanctuary the better.”  


Eriko instantly realized what was going on when she saw them, despite of, or maybe because of how Takeshi's aura was completely drowning out Knight's, and knowing just how hard it could be to remain in control during a heat she quickly positioned herself between the pair and the others.  
Calling up her own aura she layered it with fox-fire and wove it around them, forming an additional layer outside of Takeshi's aura to help keep Knight's aura restrained, and keeping it from sensing the others, especially the girls.  
While he could still see them they wouldn't really register to him as long as he was unable to sense their auras and that should make it easier for Takeshi to keep him subdued.  
She listened as they told the others that they would be leaving for a few days, probably no more than a week, but they didn't really mention why and she figured the whole heat thing was probably a bit of a sore subject, it usually was with those of mixed blood especially those that were unmated.  
She was surprised when they got up to leave and Emelie stayed behind, she had assumed that the Lilim would be the one to help him through the heat but before she could ask a look from Takeshi had her backing of and he whispered in Japanese that he would explain later.  


“I am truly sorry for this.”  
Knight apologized softly to Dan as he began to walk out.  
“For what?”  
Dan was genuinely confused.  
“This was supposed to be your time to reconnect with Take, and instead I'm pulling him away from you again.”  
“Don't worry, it's for the safety of everyone here.”  
As much as Dan would have preferred to have Takeshi stay with them and not leave so soon again he understood, and agreed with the solution.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Heat_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


When Takeshi and Knight reached the Sanctuary they were greeted by the bell like chime of the Mother.  
_**“I see you will be offering some entertainment for this old spirit.”**_  
Despite knowing what it was Knight's aura instantly flared, instinctively trying to pinpoint the source of the powerful presence.  
_**“Such a strong heat to, I am sure he would make a most interesting partner. Had I been able to claim a physical form I might just have offered to aid him through it. But alas, I am unable to do so. The flow of energy of this world must be in balance for me to do so.”**_  
“His heat will force him to submit to me so I will be seeing him through it since he isn't comfortable with any of the others doing it, worried he will hurt them.”  
_**“Always my little Guardian, so protective, so willing to care. I have left a little something for you in the chamber to help you through your seclusion. But you better go now before the pain of denying the heat sets in.”**_  
As Takeshi was about to turn around and guide Knight toward the mirror annex a sudden shift in Knight's aura made him pause and watch as Knight removed his bracers and turned toward the soul-tree, asking permission to enter the annex, once granted he walked up to the tree and placed them among the branches.  
“It's less likely I will put up a fight without my armor and sword, and if I should it will be easier to subdue me without them. I'm not sure how much I will be able to control myself, and how fully the heat will make me submit.”  
Takeshi just nodded and lead him toward the hidden opening into the small chamber that mirrored the chamber of the soul-tree, just like how the Sanctuary in his mindscape had two rooms, one for the tree and one housing his beast.  


Once inside Takeshi noticed that the usually barren room had been changed quite a lot, there were several fruit trees that were heavy with crystal fruits as well as vines and plants on the ground, some rather exotic looking ones like the hairy Rambutan, scaly Salak and colorful Hala.  
Others were more plain like pomegranate, various apples and citrus fruits, melons, grapes and nuts, including coconuts as well as pineapples, avocados and a few others he didn't recognize.  
He groaned slightly as he spotted a small durian tree, while he loved the fruits, and they were highly nutritious, the smell was a bit much to handle with his sensitive nose, luckily these didn't seem to have much of the characteristic odor.  
When he spotted a large cactus completely overgrown with dragon-fruits he couldn't resist grabbing one and slicing it open with a claw before taking a big bite, despite its crystalline appearance it was just as soft as the real fruit, its flavor was slightly different though, more condensed, richer and when Takeshi turned and picked a second fruit to toss to Knight he noticed that the one he had picked was already regrowing.  


“I guess we won't have to worry about food at least.”  
He quipped as he tossed the slightly spiky fruit to Knight who caught the spiky morsel.  
“You got everything you need? If so I'm going to seal this up.”  
Knight just nodded while trying to figure out how to deal with the less than cooperative fruit, almost dropping it when Takeshi's aura flared.  


Knight watched as Takeshi drew both his blades and he could hear the duality in his voice as he spoke a simple incantation for a barrier and for a moment he worried, the incantation was for a simple barrier, one he would easily be able to break.  
The flare of raw power that signaled the completion of the barrier had Knight staring wide-eyed and he could feel a tendril of fear trickle down his spine, the kind of exhilarating fear one would feel when facing down a force of nature.  
He instantly knew there was no way he would be able to break that barrier, despite its simple nature the addition of the two blades being slid into the ground at the entrance and joining with the barrier was just overkill and the show of power fanned the flames of his heat.  
With the barrier in place Takeshi turned around and was faced with a slack-jawed Knight, eyes dilated with a somewhat glazed look and he could hear his shallow breathing and unusually rapid pulse.  


“How are you feeling?”  
Knight instantly focused on the sound of Takeshi's voice and for a moment he was just staring before shaking his head slightly to try to clear his thoughts.  
“I'm fine. It's just that any displays of power triggers my instincts.”  
The answering flare of power had Knight glaring at a grinning Takeshi.  
“Maybe I should drop my seals to see how you would respond. I have a feeling it could get rather interesting.”  
The voice held a mix of curiosity and the usual teasing tone, but it also carried a clearly suggestive quality that made Knight's instincts stir even more and he swallowed thickly as he could feel a familiar fire begin to build within and quickly drop into his belly.  


“Wait! Seals? Are you telling me your power is being sealed right now? Not just reined in?”  
“Yes, after my recovery I found that my power-level had increased quite a lot, and to make sure there wouldn't be any problems in case something happened to make me lose control, like I did last night, I placed several levels of seals on myself.”  
“So that insane flare of power wasn't your full power?”  
Takeshi just shook his head.  
“Just how powerful are you?”  
“I don't know, I don't think I have reached my limit yet.”  
Takeshi's words nearly sent Knight to his knees.  
“I guess we better get ready, you don't look like you will be able to hold on much longer.”  
Knight just nodded, barely able to stay on feet he could feel the pain creeping into his senses.  


They moved toward the back of the chamber where Kasumi had left a large pile of bedding on top of a set of tatami mats, when they rounded the small outcropping in the back they noticed that the Mother had left one last surprise, though, they found themselves unsure just what it was.  
It looked like a cross between an African umbrella tree and a rain lamp, the crystalline tree was glowing with all the colors of the rainbow, the colors slowly shifting.  
Small drops of highly viscous fluid hung from the crown and curiosity got the better of both of them and they reached out to pick up a drop each.  
“What is this stuff?”  
Knight carefully sniffed the substance and noted that his body-heat seemed to make it less viscous and very slippery.  
_**“Just a little something to make things easier. Ease any discomforts and aid performance.”**_  
The voice of the Mother rang out and moments later they both looked rather wide-eyed as a blush began to form when they realized just what the intent of the substance produced by the small plant was.  
“Is She offering aid, or teasing us?”  
Knight was the first to find his voice.  
“Both.”  
There was no hesitation in Takeshi's reply, his thoughts on the matter revealed by the amused huff that accompanied the single word.  


Turning to look at Knight Takeshi allowed his aura to rise and take on a slightly dominant edge to see how the old warrior would react, and the immediate rise in Knight's aura told him that he wasn't quite ready to submit yet.  
“Come on, let's eat and talk until you're ready to submit.”  
Knight sighed heavily and followed Takeshi to the small fruit trees where they picked a basked full of fruits before sitting down and sharing the bounty.  
There was a somewhat uncomfortable silence as Knight didn't know what to say, where to start the offered conversation.  
“So, what do you think of my chosen family, my pack?”  
Fortunately Takeshi took mercy on him and offered a topic that they would no doubt be able to pick apart at great length.  


“Your house is a most interesting one...”  
The somewhat hesitant start made Takeshi smack the back of Knight's head.  
“Oh come on, no need to beat around the bush. Tell me what you think, and don't hold back.”  
“Your fellow yemi, Kasumi, seems to be quite a remarkable female. She is obviously highly intelligent, and she carries herself with the confidence of a warrior and the patience of leader.”  
“Yemi?”  
“Ah, sorry, I forget you don't speak Urui. A yemi is the head of a house. You are the yemo, male leader, of your house, and Kasumi is the yema, female leader, at least while you both remain unmated.”  
“Wait, the language is called Urui?”  
Takeshi found himself distracted and struggling not to laugh.  
“Indeed it is, why?”  
Takeshi quickly got up and headed to the crate of foodstuff that Kasumi hack packed for them and dug around a bit.  
“This is an urui in Japanese, the language of my childhood.”  
He offered Knight a bunch of the lime green hosta leaves.  
“They are quite delicious both raw and cooked.”  
Takeshi's revelation of what urui was to him made Knight snicker, and taste one of the fresh leaves.  
“You're right, they're quite delicious, a bit like asparagus with a hint of onion.”  
On a whim Takeshi leaned in and gave Knight a quick kiss, just enough to give him a hint of the flavor from his lips.  


After the slight detour Takeshi nudged Knight to continue speaking about his impression of those that called the island home.  
“There is one thing I would like to ask you about Kasumi.”  
“Well go on, ask.”  
“I would very much like to approach her, see if she would be willing to share my bed from time to time...”  
Knight's words weren't really a question, but Takeshi understood what he was asking for.  
“I think she would welcome that. As the sole surviving direct descendant of the previous head of the Kiryu family she hold a position similar to an heir presumptive. By decree of the Council of Elders she is heir until the day she marries, and at that time her husband will become head. If she gives birth to a son, that son will most likely replace her as heir.”  
“And you?”  
“I'm a Kage, I'm not permitted to inherit.”  
Knight could tell that Takeshi wasn't comfortable talking about it so he returned the topic to Kasumi.  
“I see, so she has to be very careful who she lets close. And she will always have the suspicion that anyone attempting to court her favor is merely after her title.”  
“Indeed. There are a few youkai that she occasionally takes to her bed, but most of the time I have been the one to help her when it gets too bad. To have someone close who she can trust not to have ulterior motives would be good for her.”  
“So you have no objections if I approach her?”  
“None whatsoever.”  
Takeshi was slightly amused by Knight's concern about his opinion.  


“So, what is your opinion about the others?”  
“The fox seems to be a noble creature, I sense that honor guides her. But she also gives me the same sense of trepidation that the Fae arouse.”  
“An apt comparison. The kitsune are tricksters, they live for playing tricks, and while willing to aid others, their aid always comes with a price. Their word is their bond though, if a kitsune swears a true oath, a _Kitsune meiyaku_ , they will stop at nothing to uphold it as failure to do so will cost them one or more of their tails.”  
“Oh, the tail of a fox is important?”  
“Indeed, the tails are the seat of a fox's power, if lost, so it the power.”  
“So her 9 tails means she is strong?”  
“Indeed, only the strongest manage to gain 9 tails, 3 for age, 3 for cleverness, and 3 for power.”  
The question about the power of a kitsune brought on a rather long winded explanation about youkai in general before they continued on to Knight's opinion of Matthews and the girls.  


“You still haven't told me what you think of Dan.”  
Takeshi's tone was teasing as it was quite clear that Knight had avoided the subject intentionally.  
“You intend to change him, don't you?”  
The evasive reply made Takeshi frown for a moment before replying, curious to see where Knight was headed.  
“Yeah. If he accepts, and I'm pretty sure he will when he's ready.”  
“You're very fortunate to have his loyalty. I have no doubt he will accept the change, and when he does, when he awakens to his instincts, you will have an amazing beta. The kind of beta that alphas would kill to claim.”  
The instant low growl made Knight laugh.  
“Don't worry, like I have already said, I have never had any desire to claim a beta or form a pack. I'm what you might call a wandering alpha, we don't form packs the way other alphas do, even if we mate we roam as a pair, any offspring is raised until they can manage on their own, then they leave.”  
Takeshi gradually relaxed again while Knight spoke.  


“You know, it will be years before he is ready, and I could use a beta until then, especially if we manage to find our way into the demon realm.”  
Being on the topic of alphas and betas allowed Takeshi an opportunity to bring up a suggestion.  
“I know you are an alpha, but I would still ask you to consider becoming my beta until Dan is ready to claim the position.”  
“I can't...”  
The way Knight turned his head and refused to look at him told Takeshi that the answer wasn't entirely true.  
“It's not all that different from the oath you have already sworn.”  
“No. I can't. Dan is the one who belongs at your side as your beta. He will be perfect for you in a way I could never hope to achieve.”  
“I'm not asking asking you to be perfect. I'm asking you to walk at my side as my beta and help me as best as you can until my true beta is ready for me.”  
This time Knight didn't answer at all, instead he turned his focus toward the large hala fruit, trying to figure out how to eat it.  
With a sigh Takeshi dropped the subject and took the large fruit from Knight's hands.  
“Like this.”  
He broke away one of the fiery orange segments and started chewing on the softer inner part, sucking out the sweet juice and pulp.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Heat_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Take, were you serious about removing your seals to allow me to feel your true strength?”  


It took a moment for Takeshi to react to Knight's question as they had been laying silently side by side for quite some time which had made him slip into his usual state of shallow meditation that allowed him to rest without sleeping.  
They had made themselves comfortable on the soft, moss covered, ground, speaking at first, then gradually falling into silence, just watching the glow of the creatures in the ceiling of the cave.  
Like the rest of the Sanctuary the annex consisted of coral like structures with anemones, barnacles and tube worms, mostly the feathery Christmas tree worms covering the gently glowing corals, adding a brilliant array of color and brighter glow.  


“Yeah, I was. Do you want me to?”  
“I do. I think it might help fully trigger my heat.”  
“Okay...”  
Takeshi nodded softly and took a few breaths to refocus his body from the calm meditative state he had been in to full wakefulness before coiling the power within and springing into a no hands kip-up.  
He could hear Knight suck in a sharp breath as even the rather mundane display of power and control made the instincts triggered by his heat stir.  


“There is one last thing I would like to ask before we start this.”  
“Hmm?”  
“Would you mind if I allow the Beast to rise? It rarely has an opportunity to come out and play.”  
“No, not at all. I think it might actually help, it's power is barely noticeable while it remains dormant, but when it rises it adds to your power.”  
“I should warn you though, it's not very good at taking it easy, and the few times it has rose during sex it has proven to be a rather rough lover.”  
“I'm okay with that. I tend to be the same during my heat. And I don't mind a rough tumble out of heat either.”  
“Then this could become interesting.”  
Takeshi quipped with a smile and offered Knight his hand, pulling him to his feet before taking a few steps back and starting to focus on removing the seals.  


Knight couldn't help the slight gasp that escaped when Takeshi's grin widened and his aura began to uncurl around them, he watched as Takeshi stood and began to remove his _haori_ and _nagajuban_ revealing the tattoos and once he was down to only his _hakama_ he released a flare of power that brought forth the sealing runes across his chest and arms.  


“Damn, those are some heavy duty seals! You shouldn't even be able to stand with all that.”  
“And yet it's barely enough to allow me to maintain control so that my aura won't flare and hurt someone who lacks the power to defend themselves. I have had to reinforce them by adding layers upon layers.”  


Knight found himself being pushed back by the force of the aura before him as Takeshi began to undo the seals one by one, each seal releasing a flare of power as it shattered.  
A mix between a groan and a moan brought a knowing glint to Takeshi's eyes and the already wide grin turned predatory at the proof of just how strongly Knight was affected by his power, even if it was caused by the influence of the heat.  
Taking a measured step toward Knight he allowed the illusion that hid the true form of his tattoo to drop, releasing yet another burst of power as he was no longer draining his own power to hide that of the ryujin.  


“Now you are just teasing me...”  
“Of course I am, wouldn't be me if I didn't now would it? Besides, you need to relax a bit.”  


Another step closer and Takeshi dropped some of the control he was enforcing on his transformation, control that made him look more human, with it released his fangs grew more prominent, his claws became longer and sharper, and his eyes no longer appeared as amber human ones, instead the slit pupil surrounded by the corona of fire appeared.  
Knight tried to take another step back but quickly found that he had backed himself into a corner, literary.  


“How about you get out of those clothes, or do you need me to give you a hand with them?”  
The grin combined with the flexing of sharp claws told Knight that if he didn't remove the clothes himself he would be wearing nothing but his armor on the walk back to the house.  
For a moment Knight found himself locked down by something in those burning eyes that he just couldn't pinpoint, then the instincts of his heat surfaced and startled him out of it by the sheer force of the fire they brought with them.  


“You know, for someone who claims to have little experience with males you sure do know how to light one on fire...”  
Knight's complaint was half-hearted at best and carried a familiar teasing tone as he removed his clothes much too slow to be considered proper.  
“Well, everyone keeps telling us how similar we are, figured that should give me a head start on figuring you out.”  
Leaning in close Takeshi tugged slightly on Knight's belt to remind him that he was supposed to be removing it if he wanted it in one piece.  
“Besides, I have never claimed to have _little experience_ with males, merely that I have less experience with males than females.”  
Takeshi added, whispering in Knights ear with something akin to a purr before stepping back a bit to watch the result of his words.  


The sight before him brought his grin from teasing back to predatory, Knight was visibly flushed and struggling with his pants as the situation and his heat had caused an rather obvious issue with the fit of the heavy denim.  
Takeshi chuckled as he recalled when they had gone shopping for clothes for Knight, he had been rather unimpressed with modern clothing until they came across a store focused on a bit more subculture clothing where he had instantly fallen for the heavy denim and boots in their cowboy style section.  
“Sure you don't need a hand with those?”  
Takeshi teased while flexing his claws.  
“No thanks, I don't feel like walking back without pants when this is over...”  


With a frustrated groan he finally managed to free himself of his clothes before looking at Takeshi again and for a moment he wished he hadn't as he was met with an excellent view of him getting rid of his _hakama_ , revealing the tail of the dragon as it curled around his leg, along with the fact that he wasn't wearing anything underneath.  
With an almost careless kick Takeshi sent the final piece of clothing flying to join the rest of his clothes before refocusing his power on Knight, pushing him back against the wall as he slowly crossed the few steps separating them.  
Takeshi could tell from the dilated pupils and rapid, shallow breathing that Knight was on the verge of losing control and he couldn't resist the slight rush of pride at having reduced him to such a state while barely touching him, despite knowing that it would not have been possible without the heat making the old warrior more submissive.  


Taking one step toward Knight Takeshi reached within and invited the beast to rise, which it did with a pleased purr, triggering the release of another jolt of power that made Knight gasp and brace himself against the wall.  
With one final step Takeshi reached out and began to trace the pattern of scars that marred Knight's chest, carefully dragging his claw along the pale lines.  
“So many scars, a map, the history of a warrior.”  
Takeshi's voice was barely a murmur as he traced a thin line reaching from one ear to the other across the throat, someone had once tried to slit Knight's throat but failed to kill him.  
“I heal like a demon, but scar like a human.”  
Knight explained in a hushed tone, unable to suppress the shudder from the sensation of the claw tracing the scar, his scars had always been a source of conflict for him.  


Conflict between the pride of having survived tough battles that had left such injuries and shame that he had been injured in the first place, shame that he was not strong enough to heal without scarring, and now the feeling of someone inspecting them so intimately had him torn.  
He feared that he would be found lacking, that his scars would be seen as a weakness, and he did not want to appear weak before such a powerful being, he knew he would be submitting before the day was over, but that was the heat, not weakness.  
“A testament to a fierce will, and ability, to survive.”  
Takeshi's words washed away the fear in an instant, no rejection, no disdain, only respect and a hint of pride  


But when Takeshi began to nip and kiss at the exposed scars something snapped within Knight and he spun them around, pinning the smaller male between him and the wall, a last desperate attempt to assume the dominant role and for a moment it seemed like he would succeed as Takeshi closed his eyes and leaned back slightly to allow Knight access to the sensitive skin at the crook of his neck.  
Knight was enjoying the taste and feel of power that permeated Takeshi's skin as he slowly moved toward the exposed throat, kissing, licking, nipping, he could feel Takeshi's sharp claws bite into his shoulders and his hips press against him as he managed to pull a shuddering groan from him.  
Maybe, just maybe, he would be allowed to bite down and claim dominance over him, just as his instincts were telling him to, but the moment his teeth touched the sensitive skin of the throat he found himself off balance, and then sailing across the room.  


Landing heavily on the other side of the small chamber Knight found himself dazed for a moment and when he looked up he was faced with a snarling Takeshi, slowly stalking toward him with his aura flaring about him, it no longer held the playful, teasing edge, this creature that was stalking toward him was pure apex predator, pure _Alpha_ , and Knight knew there was no way Takeshi would ever truly submit to anyone.  
A slight shift in Takeshi's stance combined with a shift in the flow of his aura told Knight that he was about to pounce, and he knew, if Takeshi pounced on him now he would submit, there would be no stopping it.  
There was a tiny shift in the raging aura then a move, too fast to see and Knight found himself pinned to the ground, he had forgotten just how heavy Takeshi was when he wasn't using his power to mask it, but now he landed with his full weight, and the full weight of his aura and there was no way Knight would be able to free himself.  


When Takeshi leaned toward his face Knight closed his eyes, he could feel the powerful aura pushing against his, burning, demanding and when a hand ghosted against his cheek he could feel the final surge of his heat, but before it could fully overwhelm him and force the submission he managed to rein in enough control to tilt his head back on his own.  
Takeshi heard the quivering breath as Knight tilted his head back to expose his throat, his aura was still fighting slightly, revealing that it was not a move forced by the heat and part of Takeshi was relieved at the sign that Knight was doing it intentionally, willingly.  
Placing his hands just above Knight's shoulders he leaned in and when he carefully placed his fangs over the exposed throat and bit down slightly, just enough to break the skin and draw a few drops of blood, he was rewarded with a low keening cry as Knight's aura folded, submitting completely and the desperation and raw want, need, carried in the sound lit a familiar fire in Takeshi's veins, burning away any lingering doubts about what he was about to do.  
_**“There is no shame in submitting to a stronger Alpha, only honor in their acceptance.”**_  
The dual tone and raw power flowing through the voice revealed that the words were not Takeshi's, but rather the Beast within speaking through him as he withdrew his fangs from Knights throat and carefully licked away the blood, healing the wound as he did.  


Shifting his position slightly Takeshi gave Knight a soft kiss and was very pleased when Knight answered in kind.  
He knew things would no doubt become rather rough before they were done, but he very much enjoyed being able to start out slow, soft and gentle, more emotion than lust which was something he needed.  
Even if Knight was under the influence of instinct Takeshi could still sense his acceptance in the flavor of the kisses, feel his true desire that was not influenced by the heat, reassuring him that Knight truly desired to be with him, even though it may not be how he would have preferred it to happen.  
“Ssh, don't worry, I will take care of you. Let yourself go, surrender yourself to the heat, surrender yourself to me.”  


Takeshi took his sweet time to explore Knight's body, every scar, every nerve, hand and claw, lips, tongue and fangs, all used to taste and tease.  
When he took Knight into his mouth he could feel a surge of surprise with a hint of concern, but influenced by his heat Knight quickly submitted and relaxed, and before long he was offering the most delightful sounds that made Takeshi smile and increase his efforts.  
It didn't take long before Takeshi had Knight begging for more and by the time he was allowed to move and turn around, offering, begging, to be claimed.  


All this while the Mother watched with avid curiosity as her chosen helped replace the burning agony of an unfulfilled heat with a very different fire.  


 


	4. Marks

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Marks_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

When Knight woke up he was surprised to find that his heat had withdrawn quite a lot and he was mostly lucid despite it only being the second day, maybe this heat wasn't as strong as he had thought at first.  
A slight burning sensation brought his hand to the crook of his neck and he froze as he could feel a slight pulse of Takeshi's energy there.  
“Don't worry, it will fade in a few days. My annoying backseat driver put it there when you wouldn't calm down.”  
Takeshi's soft voice made Knight startle slightly, the mark prevented him from pinpointing the presence of the powerful male.  
“Did the blasted thing bother telling you what it is, what it means?”

Knight groaned, while he wasn't able to place one himself he was well aware of the meaning of the mark Takeshi's Beast had put on him, it was a courting mark, intended to tell other demons that he was claimed and that anyone trying to court him would have to face the _Alpha_ whose mark he was carrying.

“Yeah, it did, after a while. But it assures me it's temporary and will fade by the end of the week.”  
Knight huffed at the teasing tone and tried to get up, but was stopped by Takeshi shoving a basket of fruits, cheese and dried meat in his hands.  
“No milk or cream I'm afraid, you will have to do with water. Now eat while you can, I'm guessing this moment of clarity won't last long.”  
“You're right, it won't. I can already feel the heat returning. It's odd though, I'm normally not this calm so early in my heat.”  
_**“It is the first time you have been the submissive one during your heat, is it not?”**_  
Takeshi looked slightly annoyed as the Beast pushed through and spoke through him.  
“It is, you think it has anything to do with it?”  
_**“Assuming the role of Alpha gives some benefits, being the one to claim, to set the pace, but it also brings duties. To protect the partner and make sure they are cared for, make sure no one disturbs, keep an eye out for threats. By submitting to us you left that responsibility to us, allowing yourself to just relax, and enjoy the ride.”**_  
Knight nodded, the Beast's words made sense, however the last bit about enjoying the ride earned them a grown and a punch on the arm.  
”Hey, come on! Don't punish me for what that thing says.”  
Takeshi mock whined, unable to hide his grin, not that he was really trying though.  
“Hmph, that grin was all you, don't you even try to claim otherwise.”  
Takeshi just gave him a crooked shrug and handed him another piece of dried meat.  
They spoke of the plans for the nearest future while they waited for Knight's heat to once again become too much for him and when it did Takeshi once again helped him take the edge of.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Marks_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“I think I prefer being out of control over being aware of your smug grin.”  
Knight complained when the heat was once again pushed to the back of his mind, but there was no real heat behind his words anymore.  
“I'm sure you would. But how about you eat and rest instead of complaining? You are burning away your energy much faster than you should and I don't want to risk using my power to try and replenish your reserves, the Beast tells me that might cause a permanent marking.”  
“Yeah, I would rather not end up being marked as your mate, bad enough I'm going to have scars after those damned claws of yours.”  
Takeshi traced the new scars on Knight's shoulders and hips and the way his aura brushed against them relayed his apology for having caused them.

“Once your energies are back to normal I can try and heal them. If I cut away the scar-tissue and then use my power to heal the wound it should heal without scarring.”  
The Beast once again pushed its way to the surface before Knight had a chance to speak up to let Takeshi know he would consider the offer.  
_**“We could always seal some of our power into them the next time our claws and fangs dig in. Not many can brag about having been accepted by someone as strong as us.”**_  
There was a smug tone present in the voice as the Beast made its own offer and Knight had to admit, to himself at least, that from a demon's point of view it was a very generous offer.  
To have scars that carried the energy-signature of someone powerful, even in such a _intimate_ manner, was considered a proof of strength, an honor, by many demons, they would proudly display such scars for everyone to see.

“I will consider it. Both of them actually.”  
Knight acknowledged that both offers were of interest.  
“Mind explaining a bit about demons and this entire marking deal?”  
Takeshi's question threw Knight off for a moment, he didn't expect him to ask about such matters, especially since it seemed he already knew a lot about the nature of markings, both with his own tattoos and how he had marked both Melissa and Emelie.  
“You should already know most of it, you have been using it after all.”  
Knight teased lightly before he began to explain.

“There are many kinds of marks, but the main ones are mating and courting marks, marks showing affiliation with packs, tribes or families as well as other allegiances, and finally marks of power, like your tattoos.”  
“And what the Beast suggested, what would it be considered?”  
Knight blushed slightly at the mention of the offer, it could be interpreted a few different ways, but with the intimate placement of the marks most of them would be somewhat embarrassing.  
“A claim, what kind of claim may vary a bit. A demon will sometimes claim a strong opponent they have defeated, forcing them to submit and swear their allegiance before marking them. The placement of the marks would reveal without doubt just how the claim has been placed and it is not uncommon to enforce the submission with a sexual act.”  
Having to put such practices into words made Knight's blush deepen.  
“And before you go there, it's not what you would consider rape, while the submission is forced the sexual act isn't, not as such, instead it's a show of acceptance, from both parties.”  
Takeshi nodded slowly, he didn't understand the full scope of what Knight was saying, but he knew that most demonic cultures abhorred the idea of rape just as much as humans did, if not more.

“Due to the placement of these most would interpret it as a form of a mating claim, but more of a concubine than an actual mate, for those species that have more than one mate it would signal a lower ranked mate. A high ranked mate is usually marked around the neck or chest area where it can be easily displayed while wearing normal clothing. The middle of the back, between the shoulder blades, is popular among winged demons as it shows a high level of trust to allow fangs or claws so close to such a sensitive area.”  
“I guess that explains the attempted tomato impersonation.”  
Takeshi was teasing him again, and not just with his words, but with touches as well.  
“Actually, your hitchhiker's offer isn't a bad one, such marks would be the source of envy, not ridicule.”  
“Because of our power, right?”  
The teasing tone was suddenly gone.  
“Yes, because while you are not a demon you still possess the power of a truly powerful one, and also this insane power I can't place just what it is, in all my years I have only met a handful of beings with such power, one being the demon I will seek out in the Obsidian Halls, the other being a few other Lilim, but even most Lilim don't come close.”  
“But the placement of the marks would make it obvious just how you received them, and that would be a source of embarrassment to your dominant nature.”  
It wasn't a question, but Knight nodded anyway.  
“It would undoubtedly lead to some dirty suggestions from others we come across. But more so there is a risk it would lead to fighting when they won't back down, believing I can be easily convinced to submit since I carry no scars from any major injuries infused with your power.”

Takeshi considered Knight's words for a moment before replying.  
“You could always stop being stubborn and allow me to claim you as _Pack_ , after all, it's not uncommon for a _beta_ in a male dominant pack to offer their _alpha_ certain comforts while remaining dominant toward the rest of the pack.”  
Knight sighed deeply before answering.  
“As flattering as that offer is I can't, not until our business in the Obsidian Halls is done. If I was pack, and my life is demanded for my failure it would be expected of you to challenge for my life and I can't risk that.”  
Finally hearing the true reason for Knight's refusal to become his beta Takeshi found himself overwhelmed by his instincts, and the beast's emotions, disappointment that turned to anger.  
Knight was surprised by the loud snarl that tore from Takeshi at his words.  
**“If you believe for a moment that we will stand idly by and allow someone to demand your head for things beyond your control you are sorely mistaken!”  
**

Never before had Knight been witness to Takeshi raising his voice and the inferno of his aura tore into his own and he responded in the only way he knew how to in the face of such overwhelming power, kneeling down with his head bowed low.  
His heat forcing his instincts into overdrive didn't help the situation as he found himself on his knees, head bowed and turned slightly to the side in submission hoping to soothe the raging inferno around him, but it only seemed to make it focus on him instead.  
Takeshi was fighting against the demon within, trying to balance their powers, it was demanding that they claim Knight as _pack_ , and he was trying to make it back down by reminding it that it had said itself that the one being claimed had to give their consent for the claim to take.

Much to Takeshi's horror it revealed that a marking could be forced as long at the one receiving it submitted to their power.  
_“No! I refuse to allow it! We will not claim him against his will just because we can force him to submit, especially now that his heat makes him unable to fight us.”  
_Takeshi was livid that the Beast would even suggest such a thing.  
_**“Easy there, we would not be claiming him against his will. Look beneath his words. His refusal is not for not wanting, but because he believes that if he is not pack we would not challenge this Lilim for his life should his head be demanded as restitution for failing to protect the Lilim's Mate and child.”**_  
_“Which we of course still would. Mark or no mark he is ours. Even if he was not I would still object to demanding that someone lay down their life after giving everything they have and lose to circumstances beyond their control.”_  
_**“As would I.”**_  
The Beast agreed.  
_**“I know how you feel about choice, but he is refusing because he believes it would protect us. I say we rid him of that notion and push him to make the choice he wants to make, not the one he believes to be right.”**_  
Takeshi silently agreed and refocused on the male kneeling before him, silently cursing he steeled himself for what he would have to do, he did **not** like doing things like this.

Knight could feel the aura before him shift and refocus on him, then claws dug into his arms and he was yanked up and harshly slammed into the stone wall where he slid down slightly, looking up he came face to face with a vicious snarl.  
For a moment he was dazed and he could feel blood trickling down his arms from where the claws dug in deeply and his head hurt from being slammed against the wall, but it only lasted for a moment before he was able to focus on the face in front of him.  
**“You truly believe us so callous as to stand and watch while a friend's life is being demanded for something they could do nothing about?”**  
The words were harsh, demanding and the raised voice combined with the force of the hold relayed the barely restrained fury.  
“No...”  
Knights answer was barely a whisper and if it hadn't been for Takeshi's enhanced senses he wouldn't have heard him.  
“And yet you refuse us for that very reason, believing we would not act in your defense if you are not pack.”  
Takeshi's voice was returning to its normal volume and Knight could detect a note of disappointment in it.  
“Well, we will have it no more!”  
Knight cried out, part in alarm and part in pain when the sharp fangs were suddenly buried in his left shoulder and he could feel the aura gathering just above the surface of his skin.

“ _Stop resisting! No more empty excuses.”_  
Knight tried to twist out of Takeshi's hold but he couldn't make neither claws nor fangs budge, all it accomplished was for them to dig in deeper and draw more blood, he could feel the geas of Takeshi's will take hold over his own, but he could feel that it was not a true _command_ , just a very strong _suggestion_.  
It would seem Takeshi was only intending to force him to decide what he wanted and make him act on it, not actually influence **what** he chose and for that Knight was grateful, in his current state it would have been easy for Takeshi to force him into whatever he wanted.  
_“This ends now. Accept us or deny us, but no excuses, you will answer your true desire in the matter.”_  
Knight tried to resist but he was quickly losing the battle against the sheer force of Takeshi's will.  
_“Just accept your place as my Beta. Please.”_  
There was something in the pleading note of those last words, void of the power that would force him to heed them that shattered his last resistance and Knight slumped against the wall.  
Willing his body to go limp before raising his hands to hold on to Takeshi in preparation for what he knew would come, he allowed his head to fall forward against Takeshi's shoulder and he whispered his reply.  
“I accept you, alpha.”

A moment later his body tensed as the coiled power flowed through the fangs in his shoulder and through his body, forever marking him as a part of Takeshi's pack.  
He could feel Takeshi's claws pull out of his arms and a moment later strong arms wrapped around him, supporting him rather than restraining.  
He knew it had only been a few moments but it felt like an eternity and under the onslaught of Takeshi's power a cry was building within, but just as it was about to tear from his throat a soothing tone entered his mind.  
_“Hang in there just a little longer, it's almost done.”_  
True to the words he could feel the burning intensity of the power begin to fade, then suddenly one of the arms supporting him vanished and moments later he could feel the fangs slip out of his shoulder only to be replaced by a sharp cut and something being pushed under his skin followed by a slight flare of power.  
Knight realized that not only had he been marked the usual way, but Takeshi had also placed one of the scales from his tattoo into the mark and he found himself beyond words, all he could do was to slump against Takeshi and allow his feelings to flow freely over the newly formed bond.

For a while all Knight could feel was the mark settling into his entire being, he could feel soothing energies being pushed into the wound while the scale reshaped itself after the mark and just as he was about to push away from the wall he froze at the sensation of Takeshi slowly cleaning the blood from his shoulder with languid licks.  
Knight groaned as the familiar fire of his heat was rekindled and he could feel Takeshi's grin against his shoulder, the slight chuckle told him all too well about Takeshi's amusement at the situation, no need for the bond to flood him with it as well.  
“You know, our Lilim is right. You're horrible.”  
_“And just like her you're just saying that.”_  
Takeshi didn't bother to stop his _cleaning_ long enough to actually speak.  
When Takeshi's aura finally withdrew fully and he took a step back Knight was unable to hold back the small disappointed sound at losing the contact, a sound that earned him a soft laugh and an almost gentle teasing and amusement over the new bond.  
“Eat and rest while you have a chance.”  
Takeshi tossed Knight a sizable chunk of dried meat before motioning for him to join him.  
Knight had to admit that it sounded like an excellent idea, he was exhausted from the marking, though he noticed that Takeshi seemed none the worse for wear.  
After making short work of a small mountain of fruits Knight lay down and sleep claimed him within moments, the world fading from his senses as amusement and protectiveness washed over him and faded into contentment around him from the vivid new bond.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Marks_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

When Knight woke up he was surprised to find that his heat had ended while he slept, but before he had a chance to think about it Takeshi's voice called his attention away.  
“Finally decided to wake up, sleepyhead?”  
Knight instantly regretted looking up when the sight of Takeshi working on one of his elaborate katas set his blood on fire, the fact that Takeshi hadn't bothered to get dressed making matters worse.  
“Well that shows just how much good the heat being over does me, back to blue balls...”  
Knight muttered in a hushed tone followed by curses as Takeshi obviously heard him anyway.  
“You know, the Beast tells me it's not unheard of for an _Alpha_ to reward their _Beta_ by allowing them to take certain _liberties_.”  
The insinuation was so heavy in Takeshi's voice and grin that Knight didn't need the bond to know just what kind of _liberties_ was being offered.

Knight couldn't resist mirroring Takeshi's grin as he stalked toward the beckoning finger, slowly dropping into a grappler stance in response to the obvious challenge.  
The brawl however was little more than a feint as Knight soon found himself pinning Takeshi against the crystal corals that covered the wall, the bond telling him that Takeshi had intentionally placed himself in the position, inviting Knight to claim his _liberties_.  
Pinning Takeshi's hands against the wall Knight could feel the low warning growl rather than hear it as he leaned in closer, but at the same time he could feel excitement and approval over the bond telling him that he was not crossing any lines, yet at least.  
Knight found it to be a rather strange experience at first, to feel the effects of his actions through the bond, but he quickly grew to enjoy it, to be allowed to, and able to, take a dominant position and have the bond tell him if he was pushing too far.  
When he began to trace nibbling kisses along the exposed shoulders Knight was met with a quivering groan as Takeshi tilted his head to the side to allow better access, the motion was deceptively submissive but the bond told Knight of the internal battle behind it.  
He quickly found that Takeshi seemed to enjoy having his control pushed to the limit, he had no doubt though that even the slightest overstep would reward him with a rather rough reminder of just who was really in charge, but thanks to the bond he was able to avoid stepping over that invisible line.

“ _You should have told me how badly you wanted this.”_  
Takeshi teased silently while leaning in and reaching up to nip at Knight's throat and under his jaw, taking full advantage of the difference in height between them.  
Unwilling to stop what he was doing Knight answered Takeshi in the same way, allowing the bond to carry his feelings as well.  
_“It's not like I had any reason to believe it would ever be possible unless I managed to fight you into submission, and I am no fool, you are far stronger, and far more dangerous than you let on. You are not someone I would be able to defeat, not without putting my life on the line, and that would mean breaking my oath to our Lilim, besides she would never forgive me if I truly fought you.”  
_Knight yelped at a sharp bite to his jaw as Takeshi reminded him that Emelie would be rather upset if she heard him call her _Lilim_ rather than her name.  
Knight retaliated with a nip to Takeshi's ear that earned him yet another rumbling growl and a jumbled wash of sensations and emotions over the bond.  
_“You seem to enjoy being on the edge, the edge of control, edge of pain.”_  
Knight teased in return, his grip and nips growing rougher and Takeshi was obviously enjoying the less than gentle handling.  
_“No one ever told you that the line between pain and pleasure is a very fine one?”_  
Knight shivered at the sensation of Takeshi's claws digging deep into his back.  
_“As is the one between sanity and madness.”_  
Knight countered and could feel something shift over the bond and he knew that Takeshi was no longer content to indulge him and would soon resume control.  
_“True, but not as easy to tell which side you are on.”_

The bond offered no additional warning to the sudden burst of power that tossed Knight flat on his back and when he pushed himself up on his elbows he was met by Takeshi slowly stalking toward him with an almost maniacal grin on his face.  
_“I think you left sanity behind a long time ago.”_  
Knight mused as Takeshi pushed him down and reclaimed dominance.  
_“Maybe I did. But is that really such a bad thing?”_  
Knight wasn't entirely sure Takeshi had intended for him to hear that last thought but another wash of power and wandering hands, claws and fangs biting into flesh soon banished every coherent thought from his mind.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Marks_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

 

Knight woke up from the chill that had replaced the warmth that had been radiating from Takeshi at his side and looking up he was once again treated to the pleasure of watching him go through his katas, this time using simple crystal blades in place of the twin katanas that were resting at the entrance to the annex, anchoring the powerful barriers in place.  
“So I guess we will be heading back to the others today?”  
Knight waited until Takeshi had put away the blades before speaking, not wanting to miss the show.

“We could if you want to, but I was hoping to spend the day getting the bond sorted, as it is now it's rather _distracting_. It's rather different than when we marked Em.”  
Knight couldn't help laughing at that, he knew what the _problem_ with the bond was, but it seemed Takeshi was unaware, though Knight was pretty sure that shadow he had hidden away in there knew full well what the cause was, just choosing not to let its host in on it.  
“It might be a good idea next time to be a bit less distracted, a bit less _emotional_ , when claiming someone as pack.”  
Seeing the utter confusion that flashed across Takeshi's face Knight decided to just tell him what the issue was.  
“When placing claims, forging bonds, your emotional state is important. You damn near claimed me as mate rather than pack. Had my demon blood been thick enough to actually allow me to place a true mating mark myself we would have been mates now.”

The somewhat flustered look and red tint on Takeshi's face made Knight laugh again before assuring that there would be no ill effects from it, the only side effect had already been seen in the ease with which their emotional state was transmitted over the bond.  
After a quick meal they began to try to sort the bond, to add a filter of sorts to make sure they could feel each other while not getting overwhelmed by the sensations.  
The hard part was to accomplish the filtering effect without actually weakening the bond as it could prove very useful to be able to bring the bond up to the current efficiency at times.  
At the moment Knight found himself in one of his least favored situations, trying to meditate, he had never been very good at relaxing through meditation, he was a warrior through and through, finding his peace in training or on the battlefield, and before long his mind was drifting and Knight soon found himself considering the man, male, in front of him

During the months he had spent with Takeshi and the girls Knight had found himself rather curious about the contradictions in Takeshi's personality, sometimes he would seem so young, even younger than he looked, and at other times he displayed the wisdom and heavy soul of an ancient.  
There was this playful air about him most of the time, but beneath that ran a sharp edge of danger that reminded Knight of the Fae, playful tricksters and usually very friendly as long as you didn't offend them or threaten what was theirs, but if you crossed them you could only pray that your fate would be as merciful as a swift death.  
However, something about Takeshi inspired trust and loyalty where the Fae inspired caution, and he had seen in those that lived on the island that those feeling of trust and loyalty seemed to easily grow into love, and as much as he did not want to he had to admit, at least to himself, that he could see himself fall down that path some day.

He shifted his weight slightly to try to alleviate the strain on one of the muscles in his thigh that had begun to complain before opening his eyes to look at Takeshi, as always he seemed to be perfectly comfortable kneeling in _seiza_.  
He could feel the slow flow of Takeshi's aura around him, and even in its current relaxed state he could sense the heat of its energy as it lapped against his own, it was a rather pleasant feeling, like the gentle warmth of a campfire on a chilly night, but he knew it was deceptive, and could quickly become a raging inferno if Takeshi was provoked.  
Even Takeshi's body had the same somewhat deceptive nature, the lean form and well defined muscle was a good indicator to his speed, and while Takeshi did not share Knight's extreme height he was still taller than most human males giving him a good range, but his build belied his sheer power.

Knight had quickly noticed that Takeshi was a lot heavier than his build let on, in fact the cheeky whelp weighed quite a bit more that he did himself, despite being a good deal shorter, not to mention that Takeshi's build was lean with wiry muscles where his own build was quite a bit bulkier, Emelie had called him _The bastard child of a Bodybuilder and a Strongman competitor_ , though, he had no idea what either was, she had promised to show him once they reached the estate, but his heat had disrupted the plans.

Knight was just about to get up when Takeshi cracked an eye open and sighed.  
“You really can't meditate, can you?”  
Knight just gave a grin and shook his head as he watched Takeshi unfold from the floor.  
“Your aura is agitated enough to make **me** antsy. We need to be relaxed to make this work.”  
Takeshi reached down and pulled Knight to his feet while he spoke.  
“Then how about you spar with me? I have always found my relaxation in the flow of battle.”  
Knight's grin grew wider as he began to slide into his usual brawler stance.  
Takeshi shook his head with a crooked smile and stepped closer, quickly guiding Knight into a basic karate stance.  
“I promised I would teach you about my way of fighting, and now is as good a time as any to start.”  
“I guess.”  
Knight quickly agreed and tried his best to follow Takeshi's instructions.

Once Takeshi was satisfied with Knight's stance he began to show him one of the katas that was suitable for sparring with a beginner, focusing on the blocking and deflecting of blows and basic strikes.  
While Knight was an experienced warrior his style relied mostly on his power and size, simply overwhelming most of his opponents, and demonic opponents with size and strength to match him were kept at bay by his brightmetal sword.  
“Relax, this is about balance and flow, not power. The goal is to move in sync, not to actually hit.”  
Takeshi found that Knight was a quick study and it only took a few repetitions before he had the pattern down and they could begin.  
They quickly found the flow, smoothly switching between attacking and defending and Takeshi could feel Knight's aura settling into the calm pattern needed to manipulate the bond.  
“That's it, now just feel the shift in my aura and try follow my lead now.”  
Takeshi began to weave his power into the bond and he could feel Knight following his lead, slowly forming a webbing of power along the thread that linked their auras together, once in place it would act like a filter, reducing the transfer of emotion and sensation over the bond while still keeping it possible to open it up again.

“I seriously don't like this.”  
Knight had been complaining non stop about the subdued feeling of the bond and Takeshi had to agree, the feeling was unpleasant and it made him want to get rid of the disturbance, like picking at an itching scab.  
“Well, it's either this subdued feeling, which we should get used to soon enough, or constantly being in each other's heads.”  
“I guess it's better than being stuck with your crazy crawling around in my head.”  
Knight grumbled and was instantly rewarded with a swift smack on the back of the head.  
“I should have gotten a shorter _beta_ , you are kinda hard to smack...”  
Takeshi's words made Knight pause for a moment before breaking down in laughter.  
“Thanks for making my point.”  
They decided that they would spend one last night before returning to the others and the remainder of the day was spent talking and sparring.

“Alpha?”  
Takeshi was half asleep when Knight's voice brought him back to wakefulness.  
“Yes?”  
“I have been thinking...”  
There was a solemn note in Knight's voice that kept Takeshi from offering his usual teasing quips, instead he turned to look at the large male next to him for a moment before reaching out and brushing his hand against his cheek.  
“And did it bring you any clarity?”  
“A little...”  
“I can't have a beta who won't speak up, now can I?”  
Knight sighed deeply at the teasing quip, but he did agree.  
“No you can't.”  
“Well go on you big oaf.”  
Takeshi gently smacked the back of Knight's head.  
“The suggestion your Beast made, is it something you would be willing to actually offer?”  
It only took a moment of consideration before Takeshi answered him.  
“If you want me to mark you in such a way I will.”  
“I do. Then there can be no doubt I have fully accepted you.”  
“Are you sure you want to go there though? You would have to fully submit to me again.”  
“Yeah, and it won't be the last time I need to do that. Doing this now will make it easier in the future.”  
Knight took a deep breath before his smile turned somewhat teasing.  
“Besides, now that I know you power and your heart a bit more intimately it won't be as hard for me to submit.”  
“Okay, it's settled then.”  
Takeshi gave him a short nod before leaning over and giving him a gentle kiss, he fully intended to go for a slow build now that Knight was no longer influenced by his heat.

“Where the hell does that stamina come from?”  
Knight complained with a groan when Takeshi finally collapsed against his back before rolling to the side and pulling him close.  
“Plenty of vigorous physical activity of course.”  
The innuendo in the words made Knight huff in response.  
“You're impossible.”  
_“Less talking, more cuddling...”_  
Takeshi silenced him with a kiss then made himself comfortable against his chest, allowing himself the rare treat of being the one to be held.  
Knight just huffed and wrapped his arms around the smaller male, accepting the sign of trust for what it was he focused on calming down and soon they were both deep asleep.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Marks_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Good morning sleepyhead.”  
Takeshi's bright call made Knight grumble at him, but he quickly got up and joined him in the small waterfall that the Mother had created for them so they could wash up.  
“Hold still so I can have a look at those marks.”  
Knight instantly stilled at Takeshi's request.  
“They look different than I thought they would.”  
Takeshi gently traced the 4 marks on the front of each of Knight's shoulders with a claw.  
“They have a flame like appearance.”  
After slowly moving around him Takeshi had to move Knight's hair out of the way to see the two marks on the back of the shoulders where the claws of his thumbs had dug in.  
Knight's sharp gasp when Takeshi gently kissed each of the marks made it quite obvious that they were very sensitive to his touch.  
“Will the marks always be this sensitive?”  
“More or less. Your touch will always be intensely pleasurable, but anyone else touching them will be just as intensely unpleasant.”  
“So it would be for the best if I don't touch the ones on your hips right now then, or we might just miss breakfast.”  
Just like his shoulders, Knight's hips had 5 marks each, 4 fingers on the front, and the thumb on the back.  
“Yeah, I think that might be a good idea.”

After a quick bath they got dressed and Takeshi took down the barrier so that they could head back to the house.  
“Thank you Avatar of Life for your assistance with my heat.”  
_**“You are most welcome. And please, you may call me Mother.”**_  
“As you wish Mother.”  
The powerful entity tutted at Knight's formality before fading away with a bell like laughter.  
“Getting used to dealing with an Avatar is going to take some time.”  
Knight grumbled softly while putting the bracers on.  
“Don't worry, she likes to tease, but she's a kind spirit and she's easy to deal with.”  
“No kidding...”  
Knight's grumble made Takeshi laugh and give him a hip tackle toward the exit and before long Knight was chasing him toward the house.

Walking into the inner garden Takeshi and Knight paused for a moment to watch the utter chaos before them, the contents of the breakfast table was dancing around above the table in a flourish of fox-fire while the girls were jumping around trying to catch the items they wanted, all while Eriko and the twins sat laughing and directing the dishes to dodge the attempts to catch them.  
When Takeshi flared his aura slightly the chaos took on an entirely new level as the twins spun around, totally forgetting about the plates they were levitating, leaving Eriko to try to catch them all before they could crash into the table.  
“Daddy!”  
The twins instantly launched themselves toward Takeshi and hit him square in the stomach with shoulder tackles that would make a pro proud.  
“Oof! Don't you girls think you are getting a bit big for this?”  
Takeshi mock complained as he hoisted them up on his hips.  
“Nuh uh!”  
Both of them shook their heads as they burrowed against his shoulders and Takeshi could feel them instinctively searching for his aura, tendrils of borrowed fox-fire tickling against his senses, it wouldn't be long now before they would be able to form a true bond.  
He could feel the Beast within, practically purring with joy and pride at the feeling of the twins trying to form the bond that would make them true pack.  
_**“Ours!”**_ _  
“Ours.”_  
Takeshi agreed silently.

He watched as Emelie untangled herself from the breakfast mess and stalked toward him, but as she came closer he could feel her hunger fade as her focus shifted toward Knight and her reaction had him curious.  
Emelie's aura shimmered slightly as her full succubus form was revealed and she was flaring her wings as she walked toward Knight who was looking rather worried.  
_**“She is our co-alpha, acting her role. We may have chosen him as Beta but she still has a say. If she does not accept him his position will be weaker and if challenged by someone who is chosen by both of you he would lose his position.”**_  
The Beast offered one of its rare explanations while Emelie silently walked around Knight, clearly inspecting him.

Knight seemed to be aware of what was going on as he kneeled down before her and turned his head to the side to give her easy access to the dragon that marked him as pack.  
Emelie circled Knight a few more times, stepping in closer each time, reaching out with her wing she dragged the sharp claw across his back and chest, hard enough to draw blood that she leaned in and licked away, carefully testing the taste.  
When she began to pull at his aura Knight quickly released it to allow her to test him, taste him, without offering any resistance.  
When she stopped in front of him and stepped in closer he carefully placed his hand on her waist and waited for her to act.  
Takeshi could see the tension in his body as well as aura while they waited silently to see what Emelie would do, and there was a sigh of relief when she leaned in and sunk her fangs into the side of his neck, just above the mark and allowed her aura to flow into the wounds, mingling with the energy left behind by Takeshi.

“ _I assume that means she accepts him as my beta?”_  
The Beast didn't respond beyond a sense of contentment, but that was enough to confirm it.  
Moments later Emelie slumped against Knight who quickly shifted her into his arms as he stood up and carried her over to the pile of pillow in the corner of the deck and set her down carefully.  
“Mommy!”  
“What's wrong with Mommy?”  
The twins were instantly concerned but Takeshi explained that she was just tired and would be fine, he assumed she had just used more energy than she was used to when she added to the pack mark.  
While he soothed the twins he could hear the other girls whisper, surprised that they had used _Mom_ and _Dad_ , when they had left for their trip the twins still used their names, at least around others, but during their trip that had slowly changed, especially after the incident at the Louvre.

Setting the twins down Takeshi carefully reached out with his aura to asses Emelie's condition, and he was relieved to confirm that she had just overexerted herself.  
Turning to Knight Takeshi motioned for him to come closer so that he could inspect the mark and he couldn't resist the grin that spread across his face when he heard the slight hitch in Knight's breath and spotted the dilated pupils.  
They had found during the last day in the Sanctuary that the mark was extremely sensitive to touch, especially if Takeshi allowed his power to touch it and it seemed that the combination of what Emelie had done and the anticipation of Takeshi's touch had sent Knight to the edge.  
Knight was breathing rather heavily as he knelt down in front of Takeshi and tilted his head to the side and when the clawed hand touched the mark a familiar low, keening cry was heard.  
Takeshi could feel Emelie's energies mixed with his own within the mark and when he looked closer he could see a slight purple tint on the scales that had not been there before.

“Please, no more...”  
The strain was obvious in Knight's voice and Takeshi was just about to pull back when a strong impulse from the Beast made him change his mind and instead lean in and drag his fangs against the exposed throat, earning him quivering moan.  
_“Do you submit?”_  
There was a moment of resistance before Takeshi could feel Knight's aura settling down into a submissive pattern.  
“Yes, _Alpha_...”  
Pulling on the new powers that Emelie's blood had given him Takeshi sank slender fangs into the exposed neck, seeding fire into the blood beneath and he was rewarded with a groan followed by a sigh of relief as the effects of the bite pushed Knight over the edge.  
“Go rest. You need some time to get used to the new energy.”  
Knight just nodded and joined Emelie in the pile of pillows, carefully lifting her and shifting to curl around her, there was a slight mumble of complaint as he pulled her back against his chest but recognizing her own energies as being safe she quickly settled down.  
“Come on girls, leave them be, they need to rest.”  
The complaints were instantly silenced with a look and they hurried back to the table.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Marks_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

 

“My my, a _beta,_ old and strong, a wise choice _._ You are building yourself a fine little leash there. All it needs now is for your kits to form the bond.”  
Eriko teased with glee when Takeshi and the twins joined the others at the table, but there was also an unmistakable pride in her words.  
But with her words Takeshi could feel the twins instantly grow distressed.  
“We are not pack?”  
Maria was the first to voice the question while Sarah only managed a quiet sob.  
“Of course you are, my sweet little girls.”  
“But she said...”  
“Ssh, easy sweetie. Calm yourself and I will explain.”

Takeshi pulled both of them into his lap and with a glare at Eriko over their heads he worked on quieting them down so that he could explain.  
”Remember what I told you about bonds? About how some have power and others don't?”  
He had given them a simple explanation when he noticed that they began to tap into the simple bond between them, knowing that they would sooner or later form a proper bond.  
“Mhm...”  
They were still sniffling but they both nodded that they remembered.  
“You are pack, family, my daughters by choice. The bond that Eriko is talking about is just a formality. Once you are ready the bond we share will change, it will carry power, like my bond with Em, and others will be able to feel that you are mine.”  
They just nodded, but the sniffling had stopped and Takeshi could feel the distress fade from their auras.  
“And even if for some reason the bond does not change you are still mine, that will never change.”

When the twins had settled down they quickly focused back on the breakfast and began to use fox-fire to collect Takeshi's favorites from the table and offer them in an attempt to bribe him into taking them along for a shopping trip that Emelie had mentioned.  
After a few minutes Eriko excused herself from the table and when she walked past Takeshi and the twins she bowed her head in apology and enforced it with a brush of fox-fire.  
_“Sumimasen deshita.”  
_Takeshi glared at her for a moment before accepting her apology with a slight nod and it took quite a bit of focus not to bare his fangs at her like the Beast wanted, it was not happy that her words had upset the twins.  
“Okay girls, that's enough. Give the others a chance to eat to. And don't worry, I will take you shopping, I promise.”  
“May I join you when you go?”  
Takeshi considered Melissa's request for a moment before nodding his consent.  
“We just need to finalize Knight's ID then we will take the Blackout, so you might as well go packing. Nee-chan, will you take the rest of the girls shopping?”  
“Leaving the big work to me as always.”  
Kasumi mock complained but she gave her agreement over the _Dantai_ bond.

“Dan, how are the new ID's coming along?”  
Dan nearly jumped out of his chair when Takeshi called his name, his mind had clearly been elsewhere.  
“Just fine Take, I'm almost done with the backgrounds. I could use a hand with wrangling a few of the government computers though. Matthews has been helping me but the new security protocols has him just as stumped as me.”  
“Finish up the backgrounds and I'll give you a hand after I have a word with Stormborn.”  
As expected Amanda instantly perked up at the mention of the old Avatar.  
“Can I come?”  
Her voice was hopeful but slightly hesitant and Takeshi got a feeling there was more to her request than just a chance to go swim with Stormborn.  
“Of course, go get changed and I will meet you down at the lagoon. You too Lissa, show me how far you have gotten with your aquatic transformations.”  
Turning to the twins he ushered them to the pile of pillows and asked them to keep an eye on Knight and Emelie which they quickly agreed to, the true reason though was that Emelie's instincts might cause her to panic if she woke up and the twins weren't there.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Marks_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

 

“Dan, can I talk to for you a moment?”  
Takeshi quickly called out for Dan before he left to work on Knight's ID.  
“Okay...”  
There was a deep sigh and a clear sense that he rather be somewhere else coming in over the bond.  
“Come, join me.”  
Takeshi headed toward the small, warded, hideout inside the inner garden, a spot where they could have some privacy and Dan followed him hesitantly.  
“Please, tell me what's bothering you.”  
“I...”  
There was a strong surge of shame and fear over the bond that made Takeshi want to just hold Dan until it stopped.  
“Please, there's no need to hide your feelings from me. Tell me what's wrong.”  
“It's just... I...”  
“Please?”  
“I hate feeling like this!”  
“Well, if you share maybe I can help you get past it?”  
“I'm jealous! Okay?!”  
“Dan, of course it's okay to be jealous. We all feel what we feel, what matters is how we act on those feelings.”  
Takeshi gently soothed Dan, assuring him he wasn't upset.  
“I assume you are feeling jealous of Knight? Correct?”  
“Mhm...”  
“Think you can explain why? Apart from the fact that he is stealing even more of my time.”  
There was a long silence as Dan searched for a way to put his feeling into words, to find and define what made him jealous.

“I think it's those marks... That he's so obviously yours...”  
“Dan, you are mine as well if you want to be... And if you want a mark to show that, I can give you that. It won't be a pack mark, but a mark, a claim, nonetheless.”  
“I... I think I'd like that.”  
“You need to know one thing though. Marks like those are sensitive to touch, if I touch them it will be a very pleasurable sensation, but if someone else touches them it will feel very uncomfortable.”  
“I don't care, I still want to do it.”  
Takeshi's words as he explained the drawbacks of such marks did nothing to change Dan's mind.

“Okay, then that's what we will do.”  
Takeshi leaned in and gave Dan a soft kiss and the way he instantly returned the kiss made Takeshi's instincts soar.  
“Would you like to do it right away?”  
“Please...”  
The almost desperate tone just made Takeshi nod softly and move back slightly.  
“Now, the mark will look a like a tattoo, so how about we figure out where you would like it first.”  
“Can it go anywhere?”  
“Almost. The crook of the neck is not a suitable place, the left shoulder or side of the neck is for pack and mating marks, and the right side is where the mark of the blessing will be if it comes to that.”  
Dan's instant blush made Takeshi snicker and tease him a bit, but he quickly moved on.

“I think a pair of dragons wrapped around your biceps would look really good on you.”  
“Like those warrior armbands?”  
“Mhm.”  
“I have actually thought of getting something like that done more than once, just never found a design I really liked.”  
“I have to warn you though, I don't have full control of the shape it will take, the power has a will of it's own, and your will will influence it as well.”  
“I don't care, it will be your mark!”  
“Okay.”  
Takeshi began to explain how he would do the marking, letting Dan know it would be easier, and less painful, if he allowed himself to be teased into a state of high arousal.  
“When we are close to release I will take hold of your arms and dig my claws in, allowing power to seep into your body to form the mark.”  
There was an instant surge of hesitance and fear at the mention of how the marks would be placed.  
“Ssh, easy.”  
Takeshi waited for Dan to calm down a bit.  
“Why does this scare you so?”

“I... I don't want to talk about it...”  
There was a long silence before Dan finally responded  
“I know you don't. But please, I can't help you get past this if I don't know what's causing it.”  
Takeshi took a deep breath before continuing.  
“You fear, it really upsets my instincts, hurts me. The last thing I want is for you to fear me in any way.”  
“I know, it's just... It's...”  
Dan's voice trailed of before he broke down into cursing, and Takeshi could feel guilt and shame coursing through his aura and over the bond.  
“Ssh, whatever it is I'm sure it's nothing to be ashamed of.”  
Takeshi waited while Dan tried to collect himself and when he picked up on the faint scent of tears he pulled him into his arms.  
“Ssh, easy. I'm here for you no matter what.”

“It was.. When I was still a kid and just figuring out that I liked guys just as much, if not even more, than I did girls, there was this guy...”  
When he fell silent again Takeshi just waited for him to find his words.  
“He was my first male partner, he was older, more experienced, bigger and stronger...”  
Takeshi could feel his temper stir as he began to realize what the likely cause was and when Dan didn't continue he spoke up.  
“And he abused you...”

There was another long silence, then it was like a dam had broken and the words spilled out in a jumble and gradually Takeshi was able to piece together what had happened, and it took everything he had not to storm out of there and head to Sweden to kill the bastard.  
Piecing together Dan's words revealed that the bastard Dan had been dating had been trying to pressure the young and inexperienced Dan into going further sexually than he was comfortable with.  
Dan had still been trying to figure himself out and wasn't ready to take things to the point of actually having penetrative sex, which the guy kept trying to push him into agreeing to, being increasingly insistent.

“In the end when I said no and told him I wanted us to step back a bit he refused to accept it.”  
By now Dan's tears were flowing freely and the guilt and shame in his aura was nearly overwhelming.  
“He tried to rape me...”  
“Dan, my precious Dan, that is not your fault, the fault and shame for that is entirely his.”  
Takeshi did notice that Dan said _tried_ , not that he actually had.  
“He never managed though, did he? You managed to fight him off?”  
Takeshi was gently brushing his fingers through Dan's hair as it seemed to help him calm down.  
“Yeah, somehow, I have no idea how, he was so big, so strong, and I didn't know how to fight...”  
“It sounds to me like this is something you should remember with pride. You stood up for yourself, refused to become a victim, and defended yourself against a larger and stronger opponent.”  
“Maybe....”  
Dan answer was hesitant but after a while he did nod slightly.  
“But it still scares the crap out of me whenever someone bigger or stronger acts dominant toward me in a sexual way, no matter how much I trust them...”

“Did you ever get any help coming to terms with what had happened, help working through it?”  
“No, I never reported him, never told anyone until now...”  
Takeshi had suspected as much, but the confirmation that the bastard had received no punishment made the urge to hunt him down even stronger.  
_“I want to kill him.”_  
Somehow he managed to keep his tone soft and even despite the way his instincts raged, he was unable to keep the influence of the beast from shining through though.  
“No, please. He's not worth it!”  
Dan instantly objected which made the Beast growl slightly.  
“Please, promise me you won't risk your self or sully your hands with that worthless piece of crap!”  
As the Beast slowly settled down Takeshi relented to Dan's concern and promised he wouldn't seek out the bastard.  
“If it's okay with you I would like to try to help you work past this though.”  
“I guess...”  
“That's the spirit.”  
Dan was slowly calming down, but he was clearly still upset about something.

“I guess this means you can't mark me after all?”  
The question made it perfectly clear what it was that was bothering him.  
“Well, it does mean it might take a bit of work before I can do it without triggering your trauma. But I do have an idea that might just work.”  
“What kind of idea?”  
The glimmer of hope in Dan's voice made Takeshi smile as he patted his knee, inviting Dan to move.  
“If you feel like you have more control, maybe it won't scare you as badly.”  
He gently nudged Dan to move until he had the smaller man straddling his lap.  
“Hopefully my dominant nature won't feel as overwhelming like this.”  
Dan nodded slightly, but he didn't make any move to touch the body beneath him.  
“Dan, please, touch me, kiss me.”  
It took a moment before Dan did as Takeshi asked him, and once his hands began roaming Takeshi slowly moved his hands to his biceps.  
“Other than touching your arms I won't do anything unless you invite me to.”

Takeshi knew he was setting himself up for a struggle, but it was well worth it as Dan slowly became more confident and his touch turned from hesitant to teasing, and the kisses...  
The kisses tasted amazing and Takeshi quickly found himself struggling to keep his promise.  
“You're allowed to kiss me back.”  
“Thank you.”  
Takeshi's reply was barely a whisper, a breath of relief, as returned the kisses, pouring everything he was feeling into them.  
It didn't take long for both of them to reach the edge and when Takeshi dug his claws in Dan barely noticed and moments later they both fell into the abyss, and while they recovered Takeshi's power formed a pair of rather intricate tribal bands around Dan's biceps.

“So, how do you like them?”  
Takeshi was curious to hear Dan's opinion of the marks, personally he felt they looked amazing on him.  
“They are different than how I thought they would look...”  
“Oh?”  
“I thought it'd be more like a dragon coiled 'round my arm. And I thought it'd be an Asian one, not a western one...”  
To be honest, Takeshi had thought the same, but his power had ended up created something quite different.  
There was a band, slightly narrower than Takeshi's hand, with an intricate tribal pattern around the bicep, and in the center of each band was a medallion with a surprisingly detailed western style dragon.  
“Like I said, the power has a mind of its own...”  
Takeshi's tone was slightly hesitant as Dan hadn't said anything about how he felt about the shape the mark had taken.  
“I like it... A lot... It's different, just like you.”  
The soft words made Takeshi smile and give Dan another kiss.  
“They look great on you.”  
The vivid blush and embarrassed huff made Takeshi laugh and give Dan a gentle slap on the back of the head.

“Go on, go get that data done while I talk to Stormborn. Lissa and Manda are no doubt starting to wonder if I forgot about them.”  
“Yeah, probably.”  
As they got up to leave Takeshi couldn't help grabbing Dan by the arms and the way his eyes widened was telling.  
“I told you, didn't I?”  
“Yeah...I guess you did, didn't think it would feel like this...”  
“If you want to, I will promise not to touch them without asking first.”  
Dan just shook his head at the offer.  
“Do you want me to let go?”  
Another shake was accompanied by a soft gasp.  
“May I kiss you?”  
The energetic nodding made Takeshi smile and kiss him before letting go and nudging him toward the hidden doorway that lead into the inner garden.  
“I hate you...”  
Dan's grumbled complaint was accompanied by a powerful surge of love over the bond that made Takeshi smile, and the Beast within release a content growl that sounded very much like a purr.

 

 

 


	5. Interlude 2041

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2041_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Lissa, Manda, are you ready to go?”  
“We have been ready for like an hour and a half...”  
Amanda's teasing complaint made Takeshi flash his fangs at her with a mock growl.  
“Cheeky little...”  
When Amanda just laughed at him he broke into a smile and gave the tip of her ear a flick with a clawed finger.  
“Ouch... I prefer when you use your teeth, it stings less...”  
Sensing the truth of her words Takeshi quickly leaned in and placed a soft kiss at the spot where he had flicked.  
_“Gomen ne.”_  
He apologized softly before giving her ear a gentle nip for good measure.  
“It's okay. It didn't really hurt as such, it just stings a bit.”  
“It was supposed to be teasing, not cause you pain or discomfort.”  
“I know, that's why it's okay, I know you didn't mean to.”  
Takeshi just shook his head before accepting her reasoning with a huffing sigh.

“Shall we?”  
Twin nods answered his question, though Melissa's was a bit less eager.  
She wanted to learn to fly more than anything and his insistence that she learn land and water forms properly before trying to master the skies had her somewhat bitter at times.  
He knew she understood why though, and she agreed that it was safer that way, but understanding and agreeing didn't necessarily mean liking it.

A lazy stroll later Takeshi was watching Amanda prepare the diving gear, and he had to admit, she had gotten really good at it, the speed and accuracy the was working with would have put even the trainers back at GCTI to shame, she was almost as fast as he was.  
“I see you have been practicing. Keep this up and you will be faster than me at sorting out that pile of junk.”  
“It's not like you need it anymore!”  
She all but snapped at him, bitterness heavy in her voice as she spun around to face him.  
“I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...”  
Her apology was as quick as her heated words had been.  
“It's okay.”  
He tried to soothe her, understanding full well where her words came from, but she wasn't having any of it.  
“No it's not. I'm being jealous of you, of Lissa. I want to be able to swim freely as well.”  
He could smell her tears as she burrowed her face against his chest.  
“Please! Make me like you, like to did with Lissa, please!”  
Takeshi just held her silently, he was unsure how much time had passed when he finally spoke, sensing that she was once again calm enough to listen to his words.

“You truly long for the sea that deeply?”  
He focused on reading her reactions as she looked up at for a moment before answering his question.  
“Yeah... I don't know why, but the only time I feel truly calm and happy is when I'm diving, and it always makes me feel so safe...”  
Takeshi couldn't help noticing that she had matured immensely during the time he had been away and now she acted quite a bit more mature than her 15 years.  
With that sense of maturity in mind Takeshi considered her request, and found that there was something deep within telling him to agree, to change her, but he refused to rush things.  
_“Do you promise that you will complete your studies, get good grades. Learn how to protect yourself and take at least some basic courses in marine biology?”_  
Amanda looked up at him with wide eyes as the _command_ took hold, forcing her to speak nothing but the truth.  
“I promise.”  
_“You will learn how to survive and you will stay close until you are truly ready for the sea.”_  
“I will.”

With her answers given Takeshi released his _command._   
“ I will teach you all about the Blessing, about what you are truly asking for before you decide. If you still want it after learning all about what it brings, then you have my word, before the year is ended I will grant you the Blessing”  
“Really?!”  
Hope and doubt warred in Amanda's aura which made Takeshi nip at her ear for doubting him.  
“Yes, I promise.”  
“Thank you!”  
A moment later she was hanging around his neck in a crushing hug and he returned the gesture before placing a kiss on her forehead.  
“It was always my intention to offer the blessing to you girls when you were ready, but don't let the others know, not yet. Okay?”  
She just nodded, a vivid blush staining her cheeks.  
“Let's get you ready to go meet your favorite fish, shall we?”  
His teasing quip left Amanda spluttering accusing him of being mean as her blush deepened even further.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2041_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Entering the water Takeshi took the form of a dolphin as the form allowed him to pull Amanda along by letting her hold on to his dorsal fin, and that would save them quite a bit of time.  
_“Lissa, why don't you show me some of your aquatic shifts so I can see how well you have developed?”_   
_“Okay.”_   
Melissa took great care to show off her transformations while they swam toward the center of the lagoon and Takeshi had to agree it was time for her to begin learning about flying.  
_“Good, good. I think it's indeed time for you to start studying to learn avian forms.”  
“Yay!”  
“You will have to study birds a lot, and you will have to pick a form to start trying to learn.”  
“Does it have to be a predatory species like your forms?”  
“Not at all. I simply prefer predators due to my nature.”  
“I think I would like to try becoming a parrot.”  
“I think that's a good choice for you.”  
“Thanks...”  
“Any particular parrot you would like to try for?”  
_

The order _Psittaciformes,_ was a highly diverse one with nearly 400 species dived over 3 families, the most numerous being the true parrots _Psittacoidea,_ with roughly 350 species. _  
_

“ _I know they are rare, and not native here, but I would like to study palm cockatoos.”  
_

The cockatoo family _Cacatuidea,_ was the second largest with 21 species and the Palm cockatoo _Probosciger aterrimus,_ was widely regarded as being the largest, and the most stunning in appearance. _  
_

“ _An interesting, and beautiful, choice. I will talk to the Mother, with her permission we can allow a few to live here. Maybe even allow breeding pairs.”  
_If the Mother allowed breeding pairs they would have to catch and move any offspring though to prevent overpopulation, and those individuals would have to be moved back to their natural habitat in New Guinea and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia.  
_“Thanks!”_  
Melissa's mental voice was bubbling with joy which made Takeshi's beast voice one of it's purring growls and Takeshi was happy as well that she found some measure of joy in the change.  
There had been a lot of issues caused by the change, and Takeshi hated that he hadn't been able to teach her about it before she chose, even if he had a feeling it wouldn't have changed her choice, it might have prevented some of the problems.  


When they reached the center of the lagoon Takeshi changed his form to that of a manta ray so that he wouldn't need to surface to breathe while talking to Stormborn.  
The ancient creature was already waiting for them along with a few of the dolphins and Takeshi couldn't help a silent laugh as Stormborn had grown quite a lot in the past year and was now half again as large as Takeshi was in his manta ray form.  


“ _Waverider, your return is welcome.”  
“Come, swim, speak.”  
“Grant me your memories.”  
_

“ _Now, now Stormborn of Memory, what did I say about using names?”  
_Takeshi scolded the old creature with a laugh and was rewarded with a shove from a powerful, wing like, fin.

“ _Cheeky pup.”_

There was humor in the tone as the large creature picked up speed and leaped out of the water in a rather spectacular display or power before circling back and coming up at Takeshi's side, inviting him and Amanda for a swim while Melissa headed back to land.  
But as much as Takeshi wanted to spend more time just swimming around, responding to the joy that Amanda was radiating he had other things to do. _  
“My time is limited today, my new beta needs a new name. So today I came to ask you a question, and I will return in a few days to tell you of our travels.” _

“ _I am, Guide to the Pathfinder.”  
“Ask and I shall answer.”  
_

“ _In Arcadia we spoke to Artemis of the Hunt and she told us to seek the hidden city of Atlantis. She told us that the Daughters of Poseidon still guards vast knowledge and powerful artifact and weapons that might aid my task.”  
_

“ _She is wise, the huntress.”  
”But there is not much I can do to aid you.”  
“I can bring you to the doorway, but not beyond.”  
“Only that which is of Atlantis may know the true path.”  
“All else will wander, forever lost between the worlds.”  
_

“ _The Huntress gave Em a silver crown with flowers cut from aquamarine, she said they were mined in Atlantis and that they would guide us safely to the city.”  
_Stormborn didn't respond, only a feeling of agreement radiated from it as it swam away.

“ _Go, I shall consider, remember, so that I can guide you when you are ready.”_

With that Stormborn's mind withdrew from Takeshi.  


“ _Manda, I know you would like to stay longer, but I need to head back to help Dan complete the ID for the big guy. We can swim some more tomorrow.”  
“Okay...”_  
Her tone was slightly subdued but when he shifted back to the dolphin form she grabbed on to his dorsal fin and let him know she was ready.  
_“Don't worry, we will talk more about this tonight, after diner.”  
“Okay.”_  
Her energies instantly turned back toward happy which made Takeshi relax.  
Once back at the beach and the small bungalow turned tool shed Takeshi helped Amanda clean and put away the diving gear.  
“Why don't you head up to the house and ask Em if she can make her reindeer stew for dinner tonight?”  
“Okay!”  
She took about 5 steps before pausing and turning around.  
“What's in it?”  
“A bit of this and a bit of that...”  
He quipped with a teasing smile.  
“Baka...”  
The Japanese insult made Takeshi smile at her and give her the old tickle threat which made her shriek and bolt toward the house at an impressive speed, he didn't try to catch her though, instead he shifted to his usual peregrine form and took off toward the house.

He needed to find Knight and then head by Dan and see if he was done with the write-up on Knight's new identity, the one they had used when filing the flight plan from Athens would not hold up to a closer inspection.  
It was only the combination of them flying by private jet and the respect many had for veterans in general, and legionnaires in particular, that had gotten him past the security checkpoints in Athens.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2041_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Spotting Knight sitting at one of the small tables in the inner garden Takeshi voiced a shrill cry before folding his wings into the signature stoop of the peregrine.  
He was ready to break of the stoop and shift as he usually did, but when Knight held up his bracer covered arm Takeshi landed hard on the offered arm instead.  
He was just about to hop off and shift when Knight offered him a piece of the dried meat he had been cutting away from as a snack and Takeshi allowed the instincts of the bird to rise and focus on picking the small treat apart.  
While he was pulling at the strip of meat Knight gently brushed his hand over the wings and made soft, calming, sounds which Takeshi responded to with small chirps, but he remained mostly in the instincts of the peregrine.

“Are you going to shift back, or do I have to carry you to Dan's study?”  
Knight's question held quite a bit of teasing amusement so Takeshi opted for ignoring it in favor for continuing working on the dried meat, trying to eat it while in the form of a peregrine was easier said than done.  
“Whatever did I do to deserve such a lazy alpha?”  
The bond was radiating amusement and pride though, only a strong alpha could afford to play around the way Takeshi did, and only a skilled and powerful shapeshifter could take such wide range of forms, including very small forms.  
As Takeshi made no move to return to his human form Knight simply stood up and headed toward the stairs to the second floor and Dan's office.

“Ah, Take, Knight. Perfect timing, come on in.”  
Dan greeted them through the open door before even seeing them, sensing Takeshi over the bond, and probably hearing Knight's footsteps as he wasn't trying to walk silently.  
“Oh...”  
Dan was slightly surprised to see Takeshi in the form of a peregrine, but he quickly got over it in favor for commenting on how cute he looked when struggling with the dried meat.  
There was a hint of hesitation as he reached out for Takeshi, but when he sensed the invitation of the bond he began stroking the feathers.  
“Soft...”  
Takeshi rewarded the touch with a series of happy chirps, and some gentle nipping at his fingers.  
“You know, it's gonna be hard for you to use the computer like that.”  
Dan's light teasing made Takeshi chirp at him before hopping off Knight's arm and shifting back to his human form and snagging the dried meat which made both Knight and Dan laugh at him, and made him growl at them in return.

“I just finished up the last parts. What do you think?”  
A flick of a wrist sent the files from the tablet Dan was holding to the large screen on the far wall.  
“Logan Knight?”  
There was an amused curiosity in Knight's voice when Takeshi read the name Dan had picked for him, while Knight was quick on picking up changes in languages, and new languages, he was not very skilled at reading and writing.  
“Well, I figured you had gotten used to _Knight_ by now, and your accent reminds me of Scottish. Not to mention you kinda look like something out of the Highland games so I picked a Scottish name. Ended up with _Logan_ , not sure why though, just seemed to fit.”  
Dan fidgeted slightly, worried that Knight would dislike the name he had picked but he relaxed when he received a heavy pat on the shoulder and a wide grin.

“Born in 2010 on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands. Since we don't know when you were actually born I picked July 13 since that was the date they found you. Studied and worked in Glasgow before moving to France in 2035, some language studies in Paris as well as a few simple jobs.”  
Dan quickly read the basic points of the background he had created for Knight, he would give him a more detailed briefing later.  
“Mostly law abiding, a few drunk and disorderly, a couple of bar brawls, some speeding and parking tickets. Nothing serious, just a little something to make you seem more real. I also put a pretty serious car crash in the medical history to account for all those scars, close call but you pulled through.”

“Parking ticket?”  
Knight's utter confusion made Takeshi and Dan snicker at him before Takeshi explained.  
“Remember how we sometimes had to look around quite a bit before finding somewhere to leave our vehicles?”  
“Mhm..”  
“Well, when you leave a vehicle standing somewhere it's called parking, and there are a lot of rules about how you're allowed to do it. For instance maybe you noticed that almost every time we parked in a city Em or I walked over to a machine and picked up a slip of paper that we placed inside the front window?”  
“Yeah..?”  
“That was us paying to be allowed to leave the vehicle there, if you don't pay, or leave the vehicle somewhere where you're not allowed to you get a fine, a _ticket_ , that you have to pay or they can take your vehicle away.”  
“Okay, but why would someone break those rules?”  
“It's pretty common that people prepay for a fixed amount of time, then don't make it back before the time runs out. And a speeding ticket is a fine for driving faster than what is allowed on the road where you are.”  
“I see...”  
He understood perfectly well how you could end up drinking too much and getting rowdy or fighting at a bar, and he could somewhat understand driving too fast, but failing to obey the parking rules had been a bit more confusing.  
“Don't worry, almost everyone who has a driving license has some sort of violation connected to it, either from how they drive, how they park, how the vehicle has been maintained or failure to observe the various rules and fees connected to owning a vehicle.”  
Takeshi gave him a fairly detailed run through of the various traffic violations.  
“It can look a bit suspicious if a person has no history of violations as all as it's very common to accidentally end up with traffic violations.”  
“Someone who seems too perfect invites investigation, correct?”  
“Indeed.”

“Dinner is starting to smell really nice. Smells familiar but I can't place it...”  
Dan's attention was slowly starting to drift away from helping Knight memorize his new background.  
“Mhm, smells about ready.”  
Takeshi took a quick sniff and could tell that food was almost done and would probably be served shortly as he could smell vegetables being cut up for salad.”  
“You know what it is?”  
“Naturally.”  
Takeshi's smile made Dan glare at him.  
“Lemme guess.... A surprise?”  
“Of course.”  
The deadpan reply had Dan groaning and accusing Takeshi of being an ass.  
“How about we finalize this and head down? The girls will be most upset if we don't help set the table.”  
“Yeah, let's do that.”  
Dan quickly moved over to allow Takeshi to use his computer and watched with rapt attention as he tapped into Daniels memento and quickly placed the information into the necessary systems.

“That's amazing. I really wish I could have met her.”  
Dan's awed tone made Daniels' spirit stir a bit and it made Takeshi extend an offer.  
“Well, I can allow her spirit to rise so you can talk to her if you would like that.”  
“Really?”  
“Mhm, but I would like to ask the Mother if I can do it in the Sanctuary as it's quite a drain to do it without the aid of her energies.”  
“Oh...”  
“Don't worry. I'll do it even if She says no, it will just have to be a shorter conversation.”  
“You think she would be willing to teach me a bit about dealing with computers?”  
Takeshi's smile widened as the spirit within eagerly agreed to teaching Dan.  
“Yeah, she tells me she would like that.”  
“Thank her for me will ya?”  
“She is aware of what I'm aware of so you can thank her yourself.”  
He found the way Dan mixed apologies with gratitude to be quite amusing and teased him lightly for it before shooing Dan and Knight toward the garden before it was too late to help set the table.

“Daddy!”  
“Danny!”  
“Mr Knight!”  
The twins' greetings were as energetic as always, but Knight quickly scooped them up and gave them a mock scolding.  
“I am family now, so no more Mr Knight, it's Uncle Logan now.”  
“Okay Mr Knight!”  
There was no mistaking the impish tone and cheeky grins.  
“So, Logan Knight is it? It suits you.”  
Emelie ushered the twins toward the house to go wash their hands and join the others girls in helping Kasumi and Eriko to bring out dinner.  
“Thank you _Lilim_.”

The grin and mock bow made it perfectly clear that Knight had intentionally called her Lilim to tease her, and he was rewarded by Emelie pouncing and knocking him on his back before leaning in and giving his throat a sharp nip.  
Pulling slightly on the new bond to make sure he didn't overstep, Knight decided to test the waters a bit by carefully flipping Emelie over and pin her under him before stealing a quick kiss, carefully monitoring Takeshi's reactions over the bond to make sure he didn't take it as a challenge.  
When all he could feel was amused curiosity from Takeshi and confused embarrassment from Emelie he leaned in and claimed a proper kiss before standing up and hoisting her up on his shoulder.  
“Why you! You're both horrible! I hate you!”  
Emelie shrieked from her position on Knight's shoulder but her bright red blush and the potent scent of peppermint took all edge from her words and only gained her amused chuckles from the males in question.  
But beneath the amusement Knight was relieved that his advance had not been rejected by her, and while he had sensed a certain possessiveness from Takeshi there was no sign that he was upset by the liberties taken by his _beta_ .

Takeshi was happy that Knight's teasing advance had been well received, as much as he loved Emelie she was a succubus, to stay in good health she would need multiple partners, especially if he collected a proper pack as that would mean his attentions would be divided.  
Also, being polyamorous himself, and her accepting him having multiple partners, he had no right to restrict her from the same, and to be honest, he had felt no desire to do so.  
He felt possessive yes, but not jealousy or anything like that, though, it did rile him up when she was approached or pursued by what he considered to be unworthy males.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2041_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“ _Renskavsgryta!?”_  
Dan's surprised exclamation when the large bowls of food was brought out made everyone snicker and tease him.  
“Mhm... Em's been cooking today.”  
Takeshi hummed softly and smiled when Dan rushed over and thanked Emelie with a big hug.  
“Oh, and riced potatoes. You're the best!”  
Dan's joy at the food was contagious and before long the meal descended into the usual chaos and once everyone was done they settled in the garden, playing games, talking and relaxing.

The twins were climbing on Knight and Dan, closely inspecting the new marks while chattering with each other about how _cool_ they were and the attention quickly had the others noticing Dan's new _tattoos_ .  
“They look good on you.”  
Emelie praised the aesthetics of the marks before carefully touching one to see how Dan would react.  
_“Ish...”_   
The rather displeased sound and slight shudder when she touched the mark made Emelie pull her hand back with an apology.  
“Sorry. Just testing how sensitive they are.”  
“It's okay. I just wasn't ready for that... He told me, but... Just like when he touched them...”  
She snickered softly at Dan's distraction, but she understood him fully, she had been the same when her mark was fresh.  
“Don't worry Dan, you get somewhat used to it and eventually learn to block out most of sensations when necessary.”  
His eyes instantly went to the dragon adorning her shoulder.  
“Go ahead, you can touch it if you want to.”  
When his fingers brushed against the mark she leaned into the touch slightly, finding no discomfort in it.  
If strangers touched it the sensation was unpleasant, but her chosen family didn't elicit any negative reactions, and she found that Dan's touch was actually relaxing, almost pleasant.  
The slight desire flickering through his aura only made her smile and brush her tail against his cheek with a soft smile before nuzzling his hand.

“Could you?”  
Dan blushed vividly as his voice trailed off but she understood what he wanted.  
“Of course.”  
She reached out again and brushed her fingers against the marked skin before gently wrapping her hands around as much of his arms as she could and this time he didn't seem quite as uncomfortable.  
“You have buffed up nicely.”  
The light teasing made him blush even darker for a moment before breaking into a roguish smile and flexing his arms a bit.  
“My my, big and strong.”  
She gave his arms a testing squeeze and this time he clearly wasn't bothered by it, distracted by their teasing exchange.  
When she let go and the other girls approached with avid curiosity he was clearly already more comfortable with the marks being touched.  
“Thanks Em...”  
“Don't worry about it. Remember though, if a stranger touches them it will probably be even more uncomfortable than when I first touched them.”  
She explained that the fact that she had traces of Takeshi's energy in her made the marks recognize her as family, as not being a threat.  
“Also, if someone you, or Take, dislikes, touches them it will be intensely unpleasant and the power may even lash out if the one touching them has power of their own.”  
“I know, he made sure to explain thoroughly before agreeing to mark me.”  
“Of course he did.”  
Her amused quip made Dan smile and engage the other girls with more energy.

While Emelie and the other girls were focused on Dan the twins had turned their focus to Takeshi, and started asking questions about marks.  
“Daddy, if we are pack how come we don't get a cool mark like this?”  
While the twins mostly radiated curiosity there was a hint of sadness behind their words that tore at Takeshi's instincts and made the Beast stir.  
“You will, when you are ready.”  
“Why? And how do we know when we are ready?”  
“It takes power to create those marks. If I tried to mark you before you have a chance to find your own power I could harm you, maybe even destroy that power before it has a chance to awaken.”  
“We will have powers? Like you, Emmy or Eriko?”  
“I don't know for sure, but I think you will. It might not be anything like any of the things we can do though.”  
“When?”  
“I don't know.”  
The drop in mood made Takeshi pounce and tickle them to distract them and bring their mood back up, but while he did so he also considered their questions, and what to do about it.

Deciding he might as well tell them more about the bonds Takeshi motioned for them to sit down next to him.  
“Come here, I think it's time for you to have a few more lessons about bonds, and marks.”  
With the twins seated Takeshi slowly began to shift his aura so that they would be able to see it before reaching out and touching theirs to make them, and the threads tying them together, visible as well.  
It took quite a bit of energy to do, but it would make things easier, especially when Knight followed his lead, allowing his own aura to synchronize with Takeshi's, making it visible as well.  
“See these threads that bind us together? Look at the ones that binds me to you girls and then look at the one binding me to the big guy.”  
Both the twins leaned in close and inspected the colorful threads.  
“Why is this one glowing?”  
“It's glowing because there is power in it. If you find your power yours will begin to glow as well.”

His next words pained him to speak, but they deserved the truth.  
“You need to remember though, you might never gain such powers. I strongly believe you will, but I might be wrong.”  
“But, If we don't, won't that mean we can never have those marks?”  
The worry and sorrow that tainted their auras made Takeshi's heart ache, he hated to be the one to cause them such worry, even if it was just temporary.  
“No, it just means you might have to wait a few years extra. If you have powers they will awaken before you grow up, if you don't have any powers by then we will know it's safe to mark you.”

The relief was tangible, but so was the impatience, the girls clearly didn't want to wait to see if they would develop any power of their own.  
Takeshi watched as they bounced up and ran over to Eriko and while he retracted his power they began asking her if she could help them get powers, and what it would cost them.  
When Eriko looked over at him she was clearly asking for permission to try and help the twins find out if they had any powers and Takeshi nodded, if she could help them for a reasonable price he would allow it.  
“Girls, do you remember what I told you about dealing with foxes?”  
Takeshi cautioned them, while Eriko was oath-bound to be upfront and honest about what she would ask for her favors it was important that they remember to be careful with foxes and similar creatures.  
“Yes!”

They spoke with Eriko a bit more before turning to Takeshi again.  
“She promised she will help us, if we don't get any powers she won't charge us anything, and if we do get powers we have to try to learn to use those powers to perform fox-tricks.”  
Maria was the one to explain.  
“That's a good deal, isn't it?”  
Sarah asked him to confirm.  
“It is. It's a very good deal, you should accept it.”  
Takeshi had to admit it was in fact an extremely good deal, Eriko was more or less giving it away for free considering the previous deal about teaching them her magic, her tricks, in return for them using the tricks on him.  
_“You are asking a very low price for this Fox. Don't forget your oath.”_   
Takeshi confronted Eriko to make sure there would be no issues, choosing to take the conversation in Japanese to make sure the twins wouldn't get worried.  
_“Don't worry, I won't forget. Like I have said before, I like your kits, they remind me so much of true kitsune kits.”_   
Eriko's tone suddenly turned solemn.

“ _They remind me of my own twins, my sweet little girls. They were not much older than your girls when I lost them. I had allowed them to go to one of the villages that served Inari to play with the village children.”_  
There was a long silence before she continued, her voice barely more than a whisper.  
_“A group of_ _wandering monks_ _came to the village and decided to purge it of the demonic taint. I was too late to save my girls. I nearly died myself that day, part of me still wish I had.”_  
Takeshi didn't say anything to the confession, he just pulled her close and allowed his aura to wrap around hers and moments later he could feel the twins joining them, curling up as close as they could.  
They always knew when someone was hurting, and they would instantly want to help soothe the pain, showing without a doubt that they were empaths.  
Takeshi watched the flow of the twins auras as they curled around them, slowly blending into a iridescent rainbow and as it did he could feel Eriko relax and after a few minutes her fox-fire shifted and she returned to her true form, a silvery white Japanese fox with nine tails.  
He carefully stood up before placing Eriko down on the pillows between the girls, he was sure they would stay with her, soothing her, until she returned to her usual form.

With a final glance he turned and walked over to the small table where Knight was teaching Emelie and Dan what looked like a mix between Jackstraws and some kind of a dice game using stick-dice that Emelie had made for him out of Sanctuary crystals.  
“Lissa, Manda, would you join us please?”  
Taking a seat he called for the oldest girls to join them.  
Melissa had asked to join Takeshi and Emelie on the upcoming Christmas-shopping trip and Takeshi wanted to bring Amanda along as well so that he could talk to her about the blessing without having to sneak away from the other girls.  
“Manda, I want you to join us for this years shopping trip so we can continue our talk from earlier today.”  
“Okay.”  
Her smile contradicted the somewhat unenthusiastic response.  
“So, first things first. Where should we go?”

The seemingly simple question triggered several hours worth of debate as everyone wanted to go to a different place, the only thing they had agreed on at first was that they would not go anywhere in Japan.  
While Takeshi no longer needed to hide that he was alive it would still arouse suspicion and potentially cause issues if he was spotted in Japan without his _children_ .  
Things didn't really get any easier when the twins rejoined them, adding a few more possible destinations to the list, but they had somehow managed to narrow it down to Stockholm, New York or Paris.  
In the end they picked New York simply because of the language barrier, while there was no problems using English in most places in Paris and Stockholm it was unavoidable that there would be some issues.  
Takeshi did promise that they could take more trips though, and not just for them, but for all the girls.  
“Lissa, Manda, would you mind helping the twins pack a bit and get them into bed?”  
“Of course not.”  
Both of them snickered slightly though, recognizing the request for privacy for what it was.  
After sending the girls on their way Takeshi checked on Eriko before settling down with Emelie, Knight and Dan, it was time to tell Dan what had really happened during their vacation.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2041_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


“Idiot! Of all the stupid, reckless..!”  
The outraged cry was accompanied by the sound of a sharp punch hitting true as Dan lost his cool when Takeshi told him about the incident at the Louvre.  
It would have been easy to avoid the hit, but Takeshi allowed it to strike true.  
“Why would you pull such a stupid fucking stunt?!”  
Dan's voice was furious, demanding, but the bond was screaming the truth just as loud, love and fear.  
“It was something that had to be done. The contents of that vault was too dangerous leave as it was, those were sapient weapons, able to suffer, and able to take someone over. Some needed to be saved, other needed to be destroyed, and some just needed to be freed, to be put out of the misery.”  
Takeshi could feel that Dan agreed that it had been something that needed to be done even if he didn't agree with the who and how.  
“But why you? And why in such a dangerous way? It almost killed you!”  
Dan crumbled as suddenly as he had exploded into violence and moments later Takeshi was holding the sobbing man close, gently soothing him.

“I'm sorry it scared you. Sorry I unintentionally hurt you. But my life will never be a safe one, there will be dangerous things that I will need to do. This was one of those things I had to do.”  
“I know dammit, I know...”  
Dan was still sobbing, and soaking the cloth of Takeshi's gi top rather thoroughly.  
“Why does it have to be you...”  
“I'm sorry...”  
Takeshi didn't have any answers for him so he settled for just holding him and wait for him to calm down.  
As he pulled Dan closer he felt Knight and Emelie close ranks next to him and both of the reached out for Dan, touching him, comforting him.

Once Dan had calmed down a bit they continued to tell the story, telling him of how Takeshi had recovered and the changes that had caused, the new abilities he had gained from it.  
“As usual you just can't do normal, can you?”  
Dan's frustrated words were not quite a question but Takeshi answered him anyway.  
“Someone once said that _Normal is Boring_ and I agree wholeheartedly.”  
His comment was rewarded with muttering in Swedish as Dan complained about how _impossible_ he was.  
“Aw, and here I thought you liked me.”  
Takeshi followed up on his mock complaint by leaning over and nipping at Dan's neck, using just a hint of the vampiric ability to snare prey and was instantly rewarded with a moan and a string of curses.  
“Dammit Take, you know I do!”  
Dan was leaning heavily against him for a moment before pulling away roughly with a strangled groan.  
“Please, don't tease me, not like this, not now.”  
Dan's voice was strained, barely more than a whisper, but he knew Takeshi would hear him, and he silently prayed that he would listen.  
“As you wish.”

Dan breathed a sigh of relief when he felt Takeshi pull back and the strange sensation faded.  
“I told you didn't I? I tease and I touch, that's just me being me, it will be up to you to set the limits. If I do something that you are not comfortable with you need to tell me off. Most of the time I can sense your reactions, but there are time when, like now, your body might respond one way, and your heart another.”  
Takeshi's words made Dan blush a vivid scarlet, but Takeshi was right, his body wanted the touch but the problem was that his heart wanted more than just that, and even though he knew the truth his heart could not help misunderstanding, hoping, dreaming.  
Dan was torn between wanting more, wanting to be closer, craving the touch, the intimacy and wanting to protect himself from falling even deeper in love.  
Once Dan excused himself to go sleep the others remained for a while before returning to their rooms, though only Knight was actually planning to sleep.

“Dan is really having a hard time with this.”  
Emelie was curled into Takeshi's side as he lay sprawled in the middle of their huge bed.  
“Yeah, he is.”  
Pulling her closer he nuzzled the top of her head, and when her tail wrapped around his wrist in the familiar gesture he sighed softly and relaxed slightly.  
“After New Years I will set aside time to work with him. Training, projects, anything to make sure to spend time with him.”  
“That's probably a good idea, especially now that you have a proper bond.”  
The mention of the bond made Takeshi sign.  
“Oh, why such a sound?”  
“The bond... It's amazing...”  
“Hmm?”  
She just hummed softly, urging him to elaborate.  
“He transmits his feelings so strongly it's almost overwhelming, especially his love.”  
With a gentle nudge he leaned in and kissed her, allowing her to feel how the sensation of Dan's love made him feel.  
“Oh...”  
As understanding dawned on her she went silent and savored the feeling of his emotional kisses.  
“If this is how his feelings makes you feel you really need to make sure to take care of him.”  
Takeshi was just about to answer her when a strong sense of panic surged through the bond, making him freeze.  
“What's wrong?”  
“Dan just woke up, and I think he's had a really bad dream, there's panic in the bond.”  
She instantly pulled back slightly before rolling to the side and getting out of bed.  
“Go, take care of him.”  
She didn't need to tell him though as he was already rolling of the bed and grabbing the light, short, yukata style bathrobe and wrapped himself in it before leaping down from the balcony and headed toward Dan's rooms.

A soft knock on the door to the inner garden startled Dan pretty badly and before he could collect himself enough to answer he head Takeshi calling for him.  
“Dan, can I come in?”  
First he nodded, then he realized Takeshi couldn't see the motion from where he was.  
“Yeah, come on in...”  
Dan was still curled up in bed, back toward the windows and covered by cold sweats when Takeshi entered and walked over.  
“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”  
The dip in the mattress told Dan that Takeshi had taken a set on the edge of the bed.  
“You didn't come back...”  
No more was said, and Takeshi didn't ask for more, it was enough for him to understand so he just reached across the bed and placed his hand on Dan's shoulder to reaffirm his presence.  
“You are soaking wet and cold.”  
Dan didn't really respond, but his pulse and breathing was gradually calming down.  
“Come on, let's get you into the shower. You need to get rid of that sweat and relax.”  
When Dan didn't make any move to get out of bed Takeshi gently scoped him out of the bed, which instantly had him clinging almost desperately to him, and carried the shivering man into the bathroom.  
“Come on, you need to let go and stand on your own two feet for a while.”  
“Dun wanna...”  
“Don't worry, I'll be right here. Just let me start a bath and get rid of this robe then I'll join you.”  
The assurance that he would be joining him in the shower finally had Dan letting go and allowing himself to placed on his feet and after a gentle nudge he entered the shower and allowed the warm water to wash away the sweat.

“Take, please... Could you just hold me?”  
“Of course.”  
Takeshi wrapped his arms around him, but the lingering scent of fear made his nose itch and the bond told Dan that something was wrong, making him restless.  
“Take, what's wrong?”  
“You smell of fear.”  
“Still?”  
He was slightly surprised as he had scrubbed himself thoroughly while Takeshi prepared the bath.  
“Mhm. The scent of a fear this intense lingers and doesn't wash out easily.”  
“Would that special demon soap work?”  
“You mean the scent stripping soap?”  
“Yeah...”  
“It would, but are you sure you wanna go there? I would have a very strong urge to reapply my scent marks, again, if we use that.”  
There had already been quite an intense session of scent-marking when they returned as Takeshi's instincts screamed for him to get his scent back on everyone on the island, the usual dogpile wrestling-match with the girls had satisfied most of that instinct, but with Dan it had been stronger, making him touch, kiss and lick quite a bit.  
“It's okay, I don't mind.”  
Burrowing his face in Takeshi's chest Dan gathered his courage for a moment.  
“I.. I.. I actually like it when you do that...”  
“Then I will.”

Reaching within the shift he brought out the bar of soap and set to work on washing all scents from Dan's body, and allowed Dan to do the same to him before they both relocated to Dan's spa tub.  
Dan instantly made himself comfortable in Takeshi's lap and was finally starting to calm down properly.  
“Sorry I pulled you away from Em like this...”  
“Don't worry about it. You need me to be here for you now so this is where I'll be.”  
“Thanks...”

They sat in silence, relaxing in the heat of the tub, for quite a while before Dan spoke up again.  
“I don't get it, I didn't have nightmares like this while you were gone.. Why now...”  
“Simple, you're still afraid it's not real. And the fact that I'll be leaving again, even if just for a short time may be causing it.”  
“Maybe...”  
Takeshi had invited Dan to come with them on the shopping trip but he had declined, insisting that Takeshi should be focusing on Melissa and Amanda instead as he would have plenty of opportunity for time alone with Takeshi while they were working.  
“You don't have to stay here, you can come with us.”  
“No...”  
Dan sighed deeply.  
“We already talked about this, I would like to, but you know I can't, shouldn't.”  
“I know, but you don't always have to do what you should, you are allowed to do what you want to.”  
“It wouldn't feel right...”  
Dan's repeated refusal made Takeshi emotions stir, with pride being the foremost one.  
“So dedicated, so loyal.”  
Bowing his head Takeshi began trailing soft kisses along Dan's shoulders which instantly had the younger man moaning softly and pressing against him and it didn't take long before he turned around.

“Take..?”  
The slight hesitance made Takeshi smile and brush his fingers against the fresh marks, earning him a soft gasp as Dan arched back from the intense reaction to the touch.  
_“Utsukushii...”_  
“What?”  
The whispered Japanese word had Dan slightly confused so Takeshi translated it for him.  
“It means beautiful...”  
The instant bright blush made Takeshi snicker, and decide to do some less hands on teasing.  
“You are absolutely stunning like this, you body showing its lust and pleasure so plainly.  
“You're evil.”  
The soft complaint didn't deter Takeshi in the least.  
“I would very much like to see you come undone like this, watch you unravel at the height of pleasure.”  
“Yes...”  
The soft gasp was agreement, permission, and it lit a dark fire deep with Takeshi, a fire he allowed to flow freely over the bond.  
“Wow...”  
“Remember, this is the bond, this is how your love, your desire, makes me feel.”  
Takeshi spoke softly while gently brushing his fingers against the black bands around Dan's arms, he wouldn't touch him any further though, leaving it up to the younger man to set the pace, and the limits.

With the combination of the gentle touch, and the powerful flood of emotions over the bond it didn't take long for Dan to reach the edge of the abyss.  
“Dan, knowing the effect of that power, may I steal a drop of your blood?”  
Takeshi knew that exposure to the vampiric power would probably push Dan over the edge.  
“Please...”  
Shifting his position slightly Takeshi brushed his lips against Dan's neck while allowing the power to rise and change his fangs, and when he bit down Dan's emotions came crashing down against him as he came undone above him.  
“Mmm, sweet and spicy. You, my precious Dan, are not just beautiful, you're delicious as well.”  
There was no answer though as Dan was too far gone to really notice what was being said.  
“Come on, let's get you dried off and back into bed.”  
“Mhm...”

“When did you?”  
Dan stared at the freshly made bed.  
“I asked Em to get rid of the wet bedding while we were in the bath.”  
“Thanks...”  
“Now get in bed and get some sleep. I'll stay until my usual wakeup call.”  
Takeshi smiled as Dan fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, and true to his promise he settled down next to him and watched him sleep.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Interlude 2041_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


Takeshi had already done his morning kata and had a bit to eat by the time he greeted the rising sun while waiting for the receptionist at yet another Manhattan hotel to transfer his call to the manager.  
The previous ones he had called had simply stated that they had no vacancies and refused to forward his call to the manager, so he had decided to cheat a bit by using his _suggestion_ to influence the receptionist, while he was unable to actually _command_ someone who was out of range for his energy, he could still weave a strong _suggestion_ if he was only able to talk to them for a while.

When Knight joined him he had secured a penthouse suite for the next two weeks, it wasn't ideal since it only had two bedrooms but the adults of the group didn't need much sleep so they would manage.  
“So, getting used to the idea of being _Logan_ yet?”  
“I think I'll manage. Besides I'm pretty sure someone will give me a silent reminder if I don't.”  
“We will, don't worry. But for now, how about we start getting breakfast ready for the girls?”  
”Lead the way, but you better not expect me to cook anything if you want them to actually eat it.”  
Knight's snorted reply made Takeshi laugh.  
“Don't worry, I'll cook and you can stack sandwiches. And I trust you can watch over the bread.”  
“Of course, but I'm not quite comfortable with that oven of yours.”  
“Don't worry, I have it started already,”

Once in the kitchen Takeshi checked on the gas in the oven and added a few handfuls of wood chips in the fire basket to add another dimension to the flavor, he had turned it one when he got up to make sure it would be nice and hot on time.  
With Knight's love for bread they were now baking fresh bread twice a day which meant there were always vats of sourdough and baskets with shaped breads slowly maturing and proofing in one of the smaller pantries that had been turned into a chilled proofing chamber.  
The slow process gave plenty of leeway as for when to bake the bread, and also allowed the flavors to form.

“Ouch! Meanie...”  
When Takeshi slapped Knight's hand away from the pile of crispy bacon for the umpteenth time the complaints were interrupted by laughter from the kitchen door as the twins had just entered to see if there was any breakfast ready.  
During the past year they had gotten used to getting up early as Takeshi and Knight were both very early risers, and Emelie, though less of a morning person, had gotten used to getting up early due to sharing a bed with Takeshi.  
“Morning girls.”  
“Morning!”  
“Is breakfast ready?”  
“Not quite, but you can have a few slices of fruit while you wait.”  
Takeshi pointed toward the large pile of fruits on one of the benches and before long they handed him a dragon fruit that he quickly pulled away the tough rind and cut into slices for them.  
“Now, go help Logan with getting all those sandwich toppings to the table while I finish this.”  
“Okay!”  
With a happy chirp the hurried over to Knight to help him.

Shortly after they had brought the food into the garden Matthews came sauntering out followed by a snickering Eriko who was closely followed by a smirking Emelie who was dragging a half-asleep and rather confused looking Dan along.  
A few minutes later Kasumi came out as well, herding the other girls along.  
_“Ohay_ _ō_ _.”_   
_“Ohay_ _ō Nee-chan_ _.”  
_ As usual Kasumi glared at Takeshi for acknowledging that she was older than him and as always he completely ignored it in favor for handing her a small bowl with _Koicha_ , thick matcha tea, that he had prepared as he sensed her waking up.  
She quickly took the offered bowl and raised it to her face before inhaling deeply through her nose, savoring the scent of the high quality tea.

Takeshi waited for the usual chaos to settle down a bit before bringing up his plans for the morning.  
“Girls, when we are done eating I would like you to stay here for a bit of a family meeting.”  
“Okay!”  
All of them instantly agreed and the conversation at the table drifted toward topics that they wanted to bring up, especially topics regarding Christmas and New Years.  
Once the table was cleared Takeshi corralled them all into the sitting area of the inner garden where everyone quickly found themselves a comfortable spot.

“Now, the first, and major point on the agenda is Christmas shopping.”  
The cheering was instant, and quite loud which made Takeshi silence them with a growl and a flash of fangs which instantly had them apologizing for being loud.  
“Now, I know all of you want to drag Em and me along for shopping, but I need some time to talk to Lissa and Manda in a more private setting, so I will be taking them, Em, Logan and the twins to New York later tonight.”  
There were quite a few disappointed whines and a few comments about it being unfair.  
“I know it's not fair, and I'm really sorry about that. But I promise I will make sure to take all of you on smaller trips next year, long weekends and such, one or two at a time with either just me, or me and one or two other adults.”  
The promise quickly soothed the ruffled girls, but they didn't settle down completely.

“What about Dan?”  
There was a clear edge to the question, and it made Takeshi's instincts stir with pride, his chosen family acted very much like a pack, this time closing ranks to protect the one they saw as their ideal beta.  
Many didn't understand that packs were a two way street, it wasn't just the stronger/more dominant ruling over the others, or only their duty to protect the pack.  
As much as it was Takeshi's so called right to be in charge, it was also his duty to care for the others, and while he cared for the pack it was his co-alpha's and beta's duty to look after him, and the pack would look after and help the beta.  
“Don't worry sweetie, he will be getting plenty of attention and private time as well. Now that Logan can help keep the island safe I can bring my dear little head of security with me on extended business trips, and there is plenty of training left for him to do that we will need to travel for as well.”  
The somewhat teasing hint in his words had the adults, and older girls, snickering at him and teasing Dan, while the younger girls were just happy that Dan wasn't being left out, making it quite obvious that they all knew about his feelings.

“Now, I was thinking that you girls can do the gift shopping together with Sumi-chan and Matthews while we buy most of the food and a few small gifts. Does that sound acceptable?”  
After a quick deliberation the girls agreed to the suggested division of the shopping duties.  
“What about fireworks for New Year's Eve?”  
Diane's question was to be expected, she loved fireworks.  
“I'm putting Dan in charge of setting those up.”  
“I think I'll be giving him a hand with that...”  
Eriko's addition was also expected as she loved fireworks almost as much as Diane did and while Takeshi agreed to her offer Dan just nodded with a sigh, knowing that she would be teasing him mercilessly.

“Can we have a Christmas tree?”  
“Of course. If you girls pick out decorations Em and I will use a Sanctuary planter to grow a nice tree to decorate when we get back.”  
“Can we have a **BIG** tree?”  
Carol almost fell of her chair as stretched her arms as wide as she could trying to show how big the tree should be.  
“One huge Christmas Tree, check.”  
“Can you make glowing icicles the same way you made my fairy lights?”  
“Yes Julia, I can. Why don't you and Alice work together to create models for decorations that glow or sparkle?”  
Both girls instantly agreed that they would work together and make the best light decorations ever.  
“Well, that's one way to make sure they won't have time to miss you...”  
Dan's amused quip turned Takeshi's focus to him and for a moment they watched each other silently before Dan looked away with a slight blush.  
“If only it was as easy to distract you.”  
The blush quickly brightened, but for once there were no teasing quips from any of the others, all of them sensing the strong emotions between them.  
“Don't worry, I'll manage.”  
“I know you will, but you shouldn't have to...”

On a whim Takeshi rose from his seat and walked over to Dan, reached out and cupped his face, then leaned in and kissed him deeply.  
“Wow...”  
The reaction of the girls was a bit unexpected, there were none of the usual catcalls or spluttering, just a collective sense of awe and a single whispered word.  
“I agree with her...”  
Dan's half grumbled response had Takeshi tutting at him before taking a seat next to him and pulling him close.

“I trust a combination of Honolulu and maybe a few online orders will be sufficient for the rest of you?”  
Everyone quickly agreed and the conversation drifted toward what kind of food everyone wanted before Takeshi sent the other girls away to write a wish-list to consult when shopping for gifts.  
Melissa, Amanda and the twins stayed behind though since he needed to have a few words with them about their little trip.  
“So, I will go fit the cargo area of the Blackout with stasis crystals so we can buy more sensitive perishables as well, meanwhile you girls should start packing if there is anything you want to bring. Just don't over pack, there will be plenty of time for shopping when we get there.”  
He had booked the suite for two weeks, but they would probably not stay more than 10 days as Kasumi would be rather cross with him if he did not return for his birthday, though, he was tempted to risk her ire as he never did like birthday parties much.  
“Okay!”  
The twins instantly ran to their rooms to repack their bags while Melissa and Amanda took the time to ask when they would be leaving and Takeshi told them to be ready to go by sunset.

With all the girls out of their hair the topics turned a bit more mature, including making a list of alcoholic beverages to enjoy over the holidays, and lists of items that the girls needed as chances were that their lists would mostly be things they wanted for fun.  
They agreed that the girls would be getting plenty of more boring gifts such as clothes, towels and bed sets with their favorite game and TV-show characters as well, not just toys and games.

“Maybe you should create a gift based on that promise of taking them on a more private getaway.”  
Dan's suggestion made Takeshi's aura sparkle with curiosity.  
“Oh? You have something in mind?”  
The focused attention had Dan squirming for a moment before answering.  
“A friend of mine when growing up had a really big family after her parents remarried, there were 11 siblings and getting time alone was a bit of a hassle, especially with both parents working full-time.”  
“I can imagine that...”  
“And they couldn't afford a lot of gifts so instead of giving them a lot of stuff they would give them these old-school punch-tickets allowing them to claim time, or activities, with the parents. Like claiming a day to go go-karting, or fishing or just time to be together.”  
“I like that idea. Would you mind working up some more detailed suggestions for me?”  
“Of course not.”  
“It's settled then. Care to give me a hand with the modifications to the Blackout?”  
“If you mean watch you work and offer less than helpful commentary, sure.”  
Dan was having a hard time learning how to manipulate the Sanctuary crystals into doing what he wanted them to, but Takeshi kept encouraging him to work on it, but the true master at manipulating them was Emelie.  
“Now now Dan, don't sell yourself short, your commentary is most amusing. And you could always strip.”  
“Hmpf, if I do that I don't think you will get the job done anytime soon.”  
“Aww...”  
The teasing exchange marked the end of their meeting and Takeshi simply got up and started dragging Dan toward the landing pad.

 


End file.
